


Union

by iL0Vsuperman



Series: Building a Superfamily [4]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Coming Out, Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Kid Fic, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Parent Steve Rogers, Past Relationship(s), Relationship Problems, Relationship(s), Stony - Freeform, Superfamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Superhusbands, Superhusbands (Marvel), buckynat - Freeform, winterwidow - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 14:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2736755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iL0Vsuperman/pseuds/iL0Vsuperman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or the 5 times Steve and Tony try to set up Bucky with Natasha and the one time Natasha sets up Steve and Tony.</p><p>Project Winterwidow was Tony’s idea: a scheme to set up the two Russian assassins living under his roof. Bucky had regained most of his memories of the past including the ones of when he was in a relationship with Natasha. Natasha still harbored ill feelings toward Bucky so Bucky did not think it was possible for them to get back together. Tony believes otherwise and when he gets Bucky to help in the project Steve agrees to help too.</p><p>Throughout the failures of Project Winterwidow, Steve and Tony relive the moments that drew them to love each other and learn more about it because of it. Just before their 6th attempt at Project Winterwidow, Natasha puts an end to the matchmaking by revealing a major secret of Tony’s…a very committing secret contained within a tiny box.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic, as the rest of the fics in this series, are all seen from Steve's POV. So if you are reading this for Bucky/Nat you will not get much insight into their feelings. In addition, the marriage tag is in reference to Steve and Tony.

For Peter’s fourth birthday, Steve expected there to be not as much drama as Peter’s third birthday.

“FUCK OFF!”

He clearly thought wrong...

\---

The past year seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye.

The Avengers continued to call the Tower home. Villains were in no short supply and ranged from clinically insane humans to power-grubbing aliens. Their public opinion was dependent on the media, some weeks they were heroes and some they were out of control vigilantes. Steve managed to keep his son out of the limelight, despite the efforts of many papparazi. The only images they had of him were from when he was first inadvertently revealed in the attack at Central Park when he was two-years-old.

Peter was no longer the pudgy toddler the rest of the world saw him as. His son had grown and was a small child now, standing as high as Steve’s hip with long thin legs that no longer toddled but strode confidently.

He no longer spoke with a toddler’s lisp and had found a voice and, like Tony, was always talking and making jokes.

Peter had inherited his mother’s thick, brown hair, her thin form, and her wide smile. From Steve he inherited Steve’s sky blue eyes, his square chin, and all the characteristics that made him a super soldier: his strength, speed, and fast healing. From Hydra, the cause of Peter’s birth, he had inherited gamma-radiated Spider DNA and with it the ability to stick to walls and a precognitive sense that warned him of danger.

Whenever Steve and the rest of the team were called out, Peter either stayed with the Parkers or, if they were unable, at the daycare in the new SHIELD HQ. At the daycare, Steve was pleased to find out Peter made some friends his own age. Two he had grown especially close to, Luke Cage and Ava Ayala, came over often. Luke was the son of SHIELD scientists and Ava was the child of the superhero, the White Tiger.

But Peter’s closest friend came from the most unlikely of people. Tony and his business rival, Norman Osborn, were both conscripted by SHIELD to help in rebuilding the technological sector of the organization. Norman handled the weapons portion and Tony handled the rest. They had met mostly at SHIELD’s new HQ but a few times they had met at their respective towers. It was during one of those meetings when Norman once brought his son, Harry. Tony had grumbled about it at first. Norman was not a family man and had only brought his son over in the hopes of hooking Peter. Harry was innocent to his schemes and when the boys met they instantly connected. The boy was Peter’s age and had nearly as large a heart as Peter did. Steve was happy for his son and knew their friendship would last a long time.

In that year, Steve and Tony lived like any other couple, they laughed, they fought, they cried, they loved…in other words, they lived and grew closer.

It was no question for Steve to agree to move into Tony’s apartments. It was much larger than his old apartment and included three floors and a large private balcony. Peter had taken to the transition with ease and loved being closer to Tony. The most difficult part for Steve was merging their closets. Tony’s closet was as big as Peter’s bedroom but it was filled with enough suits to clothe an entire army.

Bucky took Steve’s old floor and had even started to add his own personal touch to it (a larger television with a gaming system and Peter’s old room now housed Bucky’s artillery collection). Bucky had become a lesser Avenger and was allowed to help in fights to an extent. After a few months with the Avengers, Bucky was on track to recovering all of his memories and stopped slipping into his dangerous Winter Soldier state. Bucky and Tony avoided each other at first, Bucky’s old feelings toward Steve and vice versa had created tension between the three of them.

It was only after Bucky needed his metal hand repaired, after being impaled by Natasha, that Bucky and Tony were forced to interact. Tony originally only said he would repair the hand because Steve asked it of him but he quickly became fascinated by the mechanics of the arm.

At one point in the repair, Bucky grunted in pain and Tony called him a baby. Bucky retorted with another insult and next thing Steve knew, they were throwing insults at each other, each one escalating with fervor and abuse. Steve immediately went to stop it but when he tried to get between them they both yelled at him to leave them alone. So Steve stepped back and waited for any signs of violence to step in again. Instead, they kept up the insults and hate as Tony worked on Bucky’s arm. When he was done, Tony hissed, “Okay, shit for brains try it now.”

Bucky lifted his hand and experimentally flexed it. He growled, “For a pompous ass, you did an okay job.” He frowned at Tony then held his metal hand out to him. He stated, “Thank you.”

Tony eyed his outstretched hand for a long moment then grasped it, shaking it in acceptance. He murmured, “No problem, Terminator.”

“Frankenstein,” Bucky retorted.

“That would make you Frankenstein’s Monster?”

Bucky suddenly laughed, throwing back his head from the mirth. He looked back to Tony and murmured, “For a mad scientist, you are alright.”

“Right back at you, Darth Vader,” Tony retorted.

“Thanks for the complement, he’s quite badass,” Bucky retorted.

Tony turned to Steve and hissed, “How the hell has he seen Star Wars already and, you who have been unfrozen for _years_ , have yet to finish the series!?”

Steve looked between the two men, stepped back between them and pulled them both into a bold hug. They grumbled but from that point on Tony and Bucky had developed an odd comradery which involved mostly shooting insults at each other and talking about movie Steve had still yet to see. It was more than Steve could ever hope for.

Everything would have been perfect…If it were not for Natasha and Bucky’s relationship.

\---

“I SAID FUCK OFF!” Clint roared, pushing Bucky back again. Natasha struggled against Steve’s grip and was snarling at Bucky. _Snarling_.

“Stop fighting!” Peter screamed, stamping his feet. Everyone froze and slowly looked over to the little boy.

“You promised to be nice to each other today!” Peter stated, tears forming in his eyes. Harry stood behind him and was shooting glares at everyone involved in the fight.

Natasha used Steve’s distraction and broke away from his hold. She stiffly walked away from them and straight to Peter. She encased Peter in a hug and murmured, “I’m sorry, Peter. I will come back later.”

Then she was gone, leaving behind a lot of baffled people and questions.

“What the hell did you do now?” Tony gasped.

“Nothing,” Bucky supplied.

“I thought you were staying away from her!” Clint hissed.

“I-I just let something slip,” Bucky murmured with a flush.

“What?” Clint gasped.

Bucky’s flush deepened and whispered, “I just said something I used to say about her eyes, I…I loved the color of her eyes.”

Clint groaned and Thor grasped Bucky’s shoulder in pity.

“Tis a battle already lost, my friend,” Thor murmured sadly.

Bucky shook off Thor’s hand and muttered, “Forget about it.” He strode over to Peter and knelt in front of him. He stated, “I am sorry about messing up your party.”

Peter frowned and looked off to the side as he replied, “It’s alright. Are you okay?”

Bucky smiled the best he could in answer.

Tony swooped in like a guardian angel and pulled Peter and Harry back into his birthday party. Peter looked back to Bucky with concern until he saw Steve step up next to Bucky and he smiled reassuringly at his son. As Peter turned away, Steve cornered Bucky before he could escape.

“Buck, why didn’t you tell me?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Bucky gritted between clenched teeth.

“Last year, after Natasha told us why she was so angry at us and you especially…I thought that was it. You made no more moves toward her, heck, you did not even talk to her! Have you been harboring these feelings this entire time??”

“I let it slip,” Bucky explained, his face expressionless. “It won’t happen again.”

“Bucky…” Steve whispered sadly.

“Steve, drop it. I did. She clearly does not want me, and even though I remember, she still hates me,” Bucky hissed.

“She does not hate you,” Steve corrected. “She told me herself that she was hurt and angry but she never used the words hate…”

Bucky merely smiled sadly and whispered, “Don't worry about it, Steve. _You have already given me so much_. If it were not for you I would probably be frozen in some Hydra lab somewhere, wasting away…Go. Don’t worry about me. I am fine. Go and enjoy your son’s birthday.”

Bucky slipped past Steve before he could counter.

Steve stared after him, frustration gnawing at his gut. The party guests looked between Steve and Bucky curiously, obviously wanting to know what had happened but no one approached either of them. Peter’s friends from SHIELD daycare had already forgotten about it and were running around playing what looked like a game of tag and Peter was ‘it.’

Tony split away from Pepper’s side and came over to him.

“Hey, how is he?” Tony murmured, lightly grasping his arm.

Steve sighed heavily and shook his head. He put his hand over his mouth, mindful of the number of SHIELD operatives in the room that could read his lips, and whispered to his boyfriend, “I thought he was over Natasha but he clearly is not. I offered to be there for him but he told me to drop it. I think he feels like he owes me too much already…I wish I could help him without making him upset.”

Tony quirked an eyebrow. With his back to the rest of the people in the room, he made no move to cover his lips as he stated, “There’s no way he would accept help from you, you are practically his ex…me on the other hand…” Tony grinned and Steve could see the gears turning in his head. Tony whispered, “And I can go a step farther. He clearly still loves her and she clearly is still crazy about him—.”

“Crazy pissed at him maybe,” Steve commented.

“One step away from passion,” Tony said, waving his words away with a twitch of his hand. He continued, “Maybe I can help Barnes do more than be friendly with her, maybe I can set them up.”

“Tony…” Steve stated in warning, those gears started turning faster, making Steve a little uneasy.

“Steve, I can totally see them together! Can’t you? They can be the next Brangelina, I’ll call them Natucky…no, that sounds like a state. How about Buctasha?! No, that sounds like a weird elk…What if we combine their codenames…Winterwidow…Wow, it’s almost poetic! We’re calling this Project Winterwidow! It sounds perfect!”

“That sounds disastrous!” Steve gasped.

“Oh shush, if I get Barnes to go along with this will you help me out?” Tony asked.

Steve bit down on his lip as he considered.

“Well?” Tony implored.

“If Bucky is fine with it…” Steve started to say but Tony clapped his hands together before he could continue.

“Perfect!” Tony gasped. “I will talk to him right now!” Tony spun around and spotted Bucky leaning against a wall on the opposite side of the room. He was watching the kids play and looking miserable. Tony called out, “HEY! ROBOCOP! You, me, balcony, right now.”

Bucky squinted his eyes suspiciously at Tony but pushed himself off the wall and headed out to the balcony. Tony shot Steve a wink over his shoulder then crossed the room to follow Bucky out.

Steve rubbed the back of his head and groaned, “I hope I did not just agree to something stupid.”

\---

“This is the stupidest I idea I have ever heard,” Bucky growled with indignation.

Steve looked from Bucky and frowned at Tony. He had to agree with his friend. Tony’s idea sounded borderline catastrophic.

“She will literally kill me,” Bucky added.

“Or fall in love with you,” Tony countered.

“Or stab out my eyes and shove them down my throat,” Bucky retorted.

“Or swoon in your arms,” Tony said in a mocking romantic sigh.

Steve threw back his head with a groan and sunk deeper into the couch.

Peter’s party ended hours ago and his son was sleeping upstairs. He, Bucky, and Tony were sitting in his and Tony’s living room and Tony presented his idea about his first mission with Project Winterwidow.

It started off on the right track. Tony had Bucky tell them about how he and Natasha had originally gone from comrades to lovers when they were working with the Red Room. Steve assumed he was gathering intel on how best to approach Natasha, not gathering ideas.

Tony had summarized Bucky’s retelling, “Okay, so one day when you two were training and you pinned her down and stole a kiss and things went ba-da bing ba-da boom from there.”

“Big ba-da boom,” Bucky agreed.

“Big ba-da boom big,” Tony stated with a smirk and the men traded knowing glances, their words going over Steve’s head and he innately knew hey were referencing some obscure movie he'd never seen.

“So we should just do that,” Tony concluded with a shrug. When Steve and Bucky stared blankly at him, Tony explained, “We get the dynamic duo to spar and this guy steals a kiss again.”

Hence Bucky thinking he would be killed.

“When you suggested this farce, I was under the impression that we would actually put some thought into this,” Bucky grumbled.

“What are you talking about?! It’s brilliant!” Tony exclaimed.

“Tony, Natasha attacked him for complementing her eyes. What do you think she will do if he tried to kiss her!?” Steve gasped and Bucky grunted in agreement.

“Anger and passion lie on a very fine line,” Tony reasoned.

Bucky sighed heavily and looked between them before asking, “How did you two do it?”

Steve and Tony exchanged fond smiles. They never admitted it aloud but they loved to tell their story.

“We had flown back to the Tower together because I was worried about Peter,” Steve started, happy to change the topic.

“He was in Mama Bird mode,” Tony stated. “It was very endearing but at the height I had to fly he nearly froze to death.”

“I literally had icicles growing on me,” Steve added with a chuckle. “But Tony rubbed me down, even took my hands and warmed them up nicely with his breath.” He ran his fingers together and smiled down at his hand with a slight flush from the memory. Steve had been harboring a crush on Tony for weeks and when Tony’s mouth came so close to his flesh and his hot breath warmed his skin, Steve became more than flustered.

Tony leaned into his side and punched his arm lightly. He teased, “Steve was a little ruffled from the _close_ _contact_.” Tony reached over and ran his hand over Steve’s inner thigh, his hand coming within a hair’s width of his crotch.

“Tony,” Steve murmured, flushing more from the intimate touch in front of his friend.

“Anyways, he ran off and I thought I fucked up. Steve may have been crushing on me for a few weeks but I had been crushing on him for years! Hell, some of the first images I jacked off to were from his old recruitment posters,” Tony added.

“Why do you always feel the need to add that little tidbit?” Steve groaned, burying his face into Tony’s shoulder. Every time they retold the story Tony found a way to squeeze that fact in there.

“Anyhow, I thought I just revealed my deep dark secret and had freaked Steve out. He had just told the Avengers he was gay and I assumed that he assumed that I was just looking for another hook up. We were best friends and I thought I had not only destroyed any chances of a romantic relationship with him but our friendship as well…”

“You always overthink things,” Steve murmured. He lifted his face from the flesh of Tony’s neck and lay his head on his shoulder as he rolled his eyes.

“ _So_ I tracked him down,” Tony continued, looking down at him with a smirk. He probably saw the eye roll.

“I was still flustered when he came to apologize so when he first said what he was sorry for I did not really hear him at first,” Steve added, grasping Tony’s hand with a grin.

“Since I thought the truth was out there, I took a chance and I asked him out. When he did not reply I immediately assumed the worst!” Tony chuckled, grasping Steve’s hand tighter.

“Overthinking again,” Steve murmured teasingly.

“And as I was digging myself a grave,” Tony murmured, meeting Steve’s gaze with eyes dancing with mirth. “Steve eventually was able to understand from my babbling that I was trying to back out of asking him out and admitting to _liking_ him more than just a friend…”

“So I agreed to go out with him before he could back out and it was the smartest thing I could have ever done with my life,” Steve stated, smiling at Tony. Tony returned the grin and leaned forward with a kiss. Tony’s lips were warm against his and so familiar. He could still remember that day he asked him out so easily but he could have never imagined the depths of his emotions he would feel toward this man.

“I’m also the smartest man he has ever done, if you catch my drift,” Tony teased.

Steve playfully pushed at him and flushed slightly from embarrassment. He retorted, “You’re also the only man I have _done_ so that’s not saying much for your intelligence.”

“I love you too, honey,” Tony murmured affectionately, drawing a smile back to Steve’s face.

He almost forgot Bucky was there since he and Tony spent most of their reminiscing staring into each other’s eyes. His voice made him jump a little.

“I can’t do that with Natasha,” Bucky murmured miserably.

Tony sighed and said, “No, you can’t, but maybe using proven material will work again? Try it, she might surprise you.”

Bucky rolled his jaw thoughtfully then groaned, “I will try to spar with her but there is no way in hell I am going to try to kiss her.”

\---

“Maybe they should not spar,” Steve murmured as he paused to watch Natasha catch Peter’s tiny fist in the palm of her hand. Natasha was training Peter how to punch with his non-dominant hand. She had no idea what they planned.

Tony punched him in the shoulder. Steve looked back to him with a frown and Tony grinned, raising his boxing gloves higher and dancing on the tips of his toes.

“I’m the one who overthinks things, remember?” Tony retorted jokingly when he saw Steve’s expression. Steve rolled his eyes and lifted his boxing gloves. Tony’s eyes focused on something over his shoulder and Steve would have punched him for not paying attention until Tony stated, “Wait, here he comes.”

Steve turned around and saw Bucky slip into the room with a silent tread. The only clue Natasha gave to noticing him there was her eyes briefly flickering in his direction. She did not turn her head or shift her body in any way nor did she stop coaching Peter. Peter himself was concentrating so hard on his lesson that he had yet to notice his uncle.

Bucky slowly circled the mat Natasha and Peter were working on. Natasha had instilled a work ethic into Peter so he did not pause to greet his uncle though he did puff up his chest and hit with more force. Natasha ignored Bucky but grew tenser and her gaze angry.

“This is not going to work,” Steve hissed to Tony.

“Not if you are watching to see what’s going to happen,” Tony stated, bumping his arm lightly with the puffy, red glove. “She’s going to know something’s up if you are watching her like a hawk! C’mon fight me.”

Steve turned back around to his boyfriend and whispered, “But what if I have to jump in to stop her from killing him??”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Tony murmured. He started dancing on his toes again and lightly punched him again. “C’mon, baby, weren’t you going to teach me some new moves?”

Steve threw back his head with a heavy sigh then looked down to Tony with a small smile. He lifted his fists and whispered, “If Bucky dies in front of my son I am seriously going to reevaluate my decision about teaching you these moves _and then some_.”

“Good thing it’s going to work,” Tony said with a smirk.

They went back into the motions of boxing. Whereas Natasha demonstrated to Peter how to move and explained what they were doing, Steve wordlessly showed Tony by attacking him until he got it right. Tony stubbornly stuck to it, something Steve admired and he focused all his attention into showing Tony how to properly box because of it until he heard Bucky.

“Pete, why don’t you let your Uncle Bucky show you how it is done,” Bucky suggested. Even if they had not been expecting it, they would have paused to stare so they did just that. Peter also paused and looked at Bucky in shock. Natasha frowned and looked like she was about to rebuff him so Bucky quickly stated, “Think of it as a chance to freely punch me without Steve jumping in to stop it.”

Natasha face was blank for several seconds as she processed his words but then she smirked in amusement. She peered thoughtfully at him for a moment then stated, “Alright, boss. I can do that.”

Bucky smiled like Steve had never seen before, so full of hope and excitement. Natasha had not called him boss in such a long time Steve had wondered if he had ever really heard it. Bucky reacted like it was more than a term of endearment. He quickly took Peter’s spot and his son sat on the edge of the mat, watching his aunt and uncle with a serious focus.

Steve and Tony leaned onto the boxing ring’s cord railing, both slumping into each other’s sides. Their eyes were as focused as Peter’s on the couple. Steve reached out and tightly grasped Tony’s forearm. He hoped this would work…

Natasha and Bucky faced off and began to circle one another. For a few tense moments, they only looked at each other. Then Bucky’s finger twitched and they flew at each other in a blink of an eye.

In the heat of the moment, both Bucky and Natasha seemed to have forgotten that they were only supposed to be demonstrating how to punch for Peter.

Bucky lunged forward with a massive swing to punch Natasha. Natasha dodged and grabbed his outstretched hand, wrapping her hands around his wrist. She used the momentum of his punch and threw herself into a flip, curling her body around his and kicking her leg at his head with all her bodyweight behind it. Bucky raised his other arm up just in time to block the kick and Natasha hit the metal arm with a loud, echoing thud that made Steve wince.

Natasha showed no pain and kicked both legs into Bucky’s chest before she could fall to the ground, shooting herself away from him and making him stumble back. Bucky caught himself and charged forward. He swung his fist at her head again and this time she did not dodge but threw up her arm to block him then threw her other fist out to punch him. Bucky caught her hand and, for a moment, they both strained under each other’s strength.

Natasha lifted a leg and Bucky’s strength began to push her back because of her lost leverage. But with that lifted leg she kicked his shin and Bucky fell down to his knee. He still had a hold on her fist so he drew her down with him.

She kneed him in the gut and he shoved his elbow into her throat. She choked from the blow and he exhaled harshly from the hit. They broke apart again and began to circle each other again. The entire fight so far only spanned the course of a dozen or so seconds.

“Note to self: Never piss off super soldiers,” Tony whispered to Steve, his usual sarcasm was laced with a little awe.

“Especially the ones trained by the Red Room,” Steve added, also a little awestruck. He never had seen either move so quickly.

Peter’s mouth had fallen open into the shape of a perfect “O” and his eyes were open just as wide and sparkling with excitement. He had seen the Avengers fight on TV countless times but he had never before witnessed the feats of their power in person.

“Not as rusty as I thought you’d be,” Natasha commented.

Bucky smirked and replied, “And it seems you learned a little.”

“A _little_ , boss?”

Bucky replied by launching himself at Natasha’s torso. His head hit her in the gut and threw her to the ground. Natasha wrapped her arms around his neck then pushed both her legs beneath her and pushed them over so Bucky was the one laying on the ground not her. Natasha drew back her leg as far as she could and forcefully kneed him in the gut again.

Bucky growled and rolled them over again. Natasha dug her hands into his throat and he punched her across the face. Blood immediately filled her mouth and she grinned up at him as her white teeth turned pink.

Bucky stiffened and a particular expression crossed his face.

“Crap,” Tony hissed, jolting up beside Steve.

Before Steve could fathom his curse, Bucky leaned down and kissed Natasha. Natasha jerked in his hold, the smile falling off her face and her eyes narrowing with fury.

“Bucky!” Steve yelped in warning, reaching out to his friend, but was stopped as he forgot about the cord railing of the boxing ring.

Natasha bit down on Bucky’s lip, her blood mixing with his. She drew her fist back as far as she could and punched him across the jaw. Bucky was thrown back and made no move to catch himself. He stumbled back and must have landed painfully on his tailbone.

Natasha scrambled to her feet and glared daggers at him. When he met her angry gaze, she yelled something in Russian. Bucky flinched and looked down, flushing with shame.

He murmured a reply in Russian and whatever he said made Natasha clench her fists. She spun on her heel, avoiding all their gazes and strode straight out of the room.

Steve scrambled out of the ring, his legs catching on the cords in his haste, and ran to Bucky’s side. There was a partial half-moon shaped cut on Bucky’s lip where Natasha bit him and blood flowed freely from the wound in a thin line. Bucky stared blankly at nothing and made no move to stop the bleeding or stop it from dripping down onto his shirt.

Peter got to him before Steve did and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay, Uncle Bucky?”

Bucky lifted his head and stared beadily at Peter just as Steve reached his side. Behind him, he could hear Tony scrambling off the boxing ring.

Bucky’s gaze went from Peter then to Steve, his expression was unreadable. When Tony came to Steve’s side, something flickered in Bucky’s gaze and he smiled ruefully at all three of them. Bucky sarcastically stated, “I told you kissing her was a stupid idea.”

Tony let out a huff that was a cross between a chuckle and a sigh. He rubbed the back out his neck and said, “Well Project Winterwidow One was a bust…Don’t worry man, Project Two will do much better!”

“No,” Steve protested. “We can’t continue this!”

Bucky rubbed the blood off his lips and stated, “No, I want to…She smiled at me. It was little but-but I want this. I want her.” His small rueful smile grew wider and when he looked up at Steve he saw no trace of the solemn Winter Soldier in his excited gaze. All he saw was the Bucky he had grown up with, the one who loved a challenge and had a laugh always on the edge of his voice. He grinned excitedly at them, his lips splitting open a little more, and said, “I was not so sure about this at first but for the first time in a long, long time I know now what I want. I’m going to fight for her. I want what we had before and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get her back, – even listening to the mad scientist’s hair brained ideas!”

Tony grinned and stated, “Great, now for Project Two…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> siyuttov asked what Bucky and Natasha said to each other and I was instantly inspired to write this scene from Bucky's POV. Hope you enjoy! :)
> 
> When he growled at Natasha, Bucky was operating on instinct, a trait he had developed as the Winter Soldier. It had been the second time she kneed him in the gut and it was one time too many. He rolled them over again so she was the one pinned to the ground. Natasha retaliated by digging her hands into his throat. He felt the squeeze to his larynx and knew her guard was down. Before she could put up her defenses, he drew back his right fist and punched her across the face. Had he used his metal left arm, he might have punched her head clear off. He still had enough semblance not to kill her.  
> Blood immediately filled her mouth and she grinned up at him as her white teeth turned pink. It struck him dumb as memories flooded him.  
> When under the tutelage of the Red Room, Bucky had gone through grueling training. As the Winter Soldier, he had no opinion in the matter. He was commanded to do it and that was all that mattered. But Natasha was different. Like him, she did not have much of a choice in her training but she did not block out her feelings, in fact, she reveled in it. Training and the pain that came along with it was exciting to her and it was one of the first things that had drawn him out of his shell as the Winter Soldier.  
> He missed her passion for life. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement and she was smiling at him for the first time in years. Granted, her smile was bloody, but it was directed at him and her lips were puffy from his punch and he could almost pretend it was not from the hit but from being kissed.  
> Bucky did not think. He just leaned down, closed his eyes, and kissed Natasha. Natasha jerked in his hold and for a moment, he imagined her relaxing into his kiss.  
> “Bucky!” Steve yelped in the background but he did not heed his friend’s warning.  
> Natasha did not react to his imploring lips and sealed her lips into a thin line. When he tried suck on her upper lip did she make her move and bit down hard on Bucky’s bottom lip. His blood flooded down his tongue and he felt her cooler blood mix into his mouth.  
> Within seconds, she drew her fist back as far as she could and punched him across the jaw. Bucky was thrown back and made no move to catch himself. He stumbled back and landed painfully on his tailbone but showed no outward signs of pain.  
> Natasha scrambled to her feet and glared daggers at him. When he met her angry gaze, she yelled in Russian, “What were you thinking?? I thought you were being civil! I haven’t forgiven you yet and you think this is the best way to treat me when I finally give you a chance?? Don’t you understand my feelings on the matter??”  
> Bucky flinched and looked down, flushing with shame.  
> Still staring at his lap, in Russian, he murmured, “I know it was stupid but I could not help it…I miss you, love. Don’t you miss me?”  
> Natasha did not reply but clenched her fists at her side. She spun on her heel, avoiding everyone’s gazes and strode straight out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the chapter the gang will be watching a video feed with subtitles instead of "quotation marks" I used [brackets] as the foreign language was being spoken! Now you know!  
> Enjoy the chapter! It's a little shorter than usual! 
> 
> Also I added an extra scene in chapter one a few days after posting. So if you didn't see it, it's in the end note, it is Bucky and Natasha's confrontation seen from Bucky's POV so now you can see what was said in Russian! :)

“Project Winterwidow Two: Flowers,” Tony stated days later, finally making up his mind.

“The old-fashioned approach?” Steve murmured in surprise. Tony was usually more in your face.

“Think of it as a tip of my hat to you old guys,” Tony said with a grin and snapped his goggles back on. The lens magnified his hazel eyes to a comical size and Steve stifled a smile behind his hand. Tony bent over a piece of his helmet lifting a miniscule pick with a tip that glowed orange and sizzled as he worked on the more sensitive chips in the machine.

Steve put his sketchbook down on the couch and strolled across the room. Tony was adding improvements to his Iron Man suit and Steve had taken it as a prime opportunity to get a few more sketches of Tony in his adorable goggles. Yet sketches were the furthest thing from his mind as he leaned into his elbows against the counter, opposite Tony, and stared at him with a knowing grin.

“The idea is very sweet,” Steve murmured.

Tony glanced up and raised a single eyebrow, past the rim of his goggles, as he asked, “Are you hinting that I should be doing the same?”

Steve smiled at his question coupled with his eyes being big and round behind those lenses he could not help it. He replied, “No, you are doing great…I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet, so thank you for doing this.”

Tony sat up, pulling his tools away from the chips to give Steve his full attention. Tony said, “Thank me? There’s no need.”

“After everything that happened last year, no one would have faulted you for not wanting Bucky to live in the Tower but you let him. And now you are trying to help him get back together with Natasha. You’re going above and beyond…” Steve reached across the counter and lightly caressed the side of Tony’s arm with his thumb. He murmured, “So thank you.”

Tony pulled off the goggles and caught Steve’s hand before he could pull back. He kissed the palm of his hand and whispered into his flesh, “He’s your best friend and last year was nothing. There is no need to thank me. I love you, Steve.”

Tony’s words prompted Steve to round the counter. He kept his hand in Tony’s the entire way. Tony started off with being adorable but his proclamation made Steve want to smother the rest of Tony’s words with his mouth.

Tony spun on his stool and was grinning madly like a fool because he knew what Steve was thinking. He parted his legs so Steve could more easily slide into his arms. Tony released his hand to run both of his hands over Steve’s hips and tugged at Steve’s shirt, untucking it from his slacks. He slid his hands underneath his shirt as Steve carded his fingers through Tony’s hair and drew him into a kiss.

Tony dug his fingers into Steve’s flesh drawing a pleased murmur from Steve. Steve whispered into his lips, “I love you too.”

For a few minutes, Steve leaned into Tony and lazily kissed him. Their lips lightly lapped at one another, tasting each other, sharing in the sensations, and caressing warmth. They ran their hands over each other’s bodies, tracing the routes their muscles created and recalling how the other felt in their close hold. They woke up in each other’s arms just that morning but it felt like a lifetime ago.

Tony kissed the corner of Steve’s mouth and murmured, “I gave you chocolate for Valentine’s Day but I don’t think I have ever given you flowers.”

Steve chuckled and replied, “No, you have never given me flowers and you don’t have to.”

Tony grinned and murmured, “But I need to be proper.”

Steve pulled back with a smirk and gasped, “Tony, you have never been proper!”

Tony wore a mocking shocked expression and sarcastically gasped, “No! Name one instance!”

“Our first date,” Steve instantly replied.

“I think I was quite courteous,” Tony retorted.

“We made out and you almost made love to me on my couch!” Steve replied, with a slight shove to Tony’s shoulder. “ _And_ I was a virgin!”

“Almost!” Tony stated, “It did not happen! And let’s not forget, you were the one to kiss me first—!”

Steve cut him off with a groan then kissed him again to shut him up. Tony fell blessedly silent and leaned into Steve's hold. Steve broke the deep kiss and pulled back to peer into Tony’s eyes. He whispered, “None of that matters now and you _don’t_ need to give me flowers or any more chocolates. All I need and want is you and you give me more than enough of yourself everyday…”

“Right back ya, babe,” Tony flirted. Tony pulled him into another kiss. He was still sitting on the stool so he wrapped his legs around Steve’s hips, and thrust his hips into Steve’s. Steve hummed in approval, picked the mechanic up, lifted him onto the counter, and kicked the stool aside. Their kisses became more wild and their hands more bold. Steve knew where it would lead and his cock began to harden at the prospect.

“Jarvis, lockdown the lab and do not disturb us unless the world is going to end!” Tony gasped, his lips were only free because Steve stepped back to pull his shirt off over his head. Tony also took the moment to tear off his own shirt. His lithe muscles on his chest were outlined by the light blue glow of the arc reactor in the middle of his chest. Steve bent down and placed a kiss into the middle of that warm glow.

“Yes, Sir,” Jarvis replied.

“I don’t care what you say. You deserve everything and so much more. I’m going to get you bundles and bundles of flowers,” Tony promised as dug his fingers into Steve’s scalp. Steve pushed him down and hummed noncommittally as he continued kissing the area around Tony’s reactor, his mind already on other, better things.

\---

The Avenger’s made an effort to eat together for breakfast and dinner at least so that morning was just like any other breakfast. Steve had made a huge platter of pancakes, a good portion had already been removed for consumption. They had six different syrups sitting at various points on the table. Steve was particularly fond of the blueberry one and Peter loved the strawberry flavor.

Steve and Peter were morning people and sitting next to each other so they were happily chatting away about what they planned to do for the day (sneaking out to the zoo). Gone were the days of hiding behind glasses and baseball caps, Tony had made them facial holograms, better than the ones SHIELD had so they could go out without fearing being recognized.

Thor was both a morning and night person and was always smiling and loud. He sat on Peter’s other side and joined in their conversation. Asking about the animals and being amused by the description of the little Midgard predators. He was on his third serving of pancakes and had literally soaked them in a combination of original maple syrup and butter pecan syrup, Steve felt sick imagining eating the sugary concoction.

Tony was slumped on the chair next to Steve, nursing a coffee and picking at his single pancake devoid of any syrup. Once the coffee kicked in he would be his usual animated self and start eating in force.

Clint, Natasha, and Bruce all sat on the other side of the table. These three were the team’s night owls and were their usual quiet selves that morning. All three had cups of coffee and were eating their breakfasts silently. Clint was actively listening to the conversation and would mumble input as he ate his pancakes with the limited edition peach syrup.

Bruce silently listened too but seemed so tired it looked like an effort to eat nonetheless speak. By the look of the bags underneath his eyes and his worn expression, he had probably pulled an all-nighter. He ate his pancakes with blackberry syrup.

Natasha was silent and only spoke when she was spoken to. There was never any doubt she was not following the conversation, though her expression revealed nothing. She methodically ate away at her pancakes with strawberry syrup.

Bucky was a morning person but when sitting with the entire team, especially with Natasha in the room, he was silent. Today, however, he was nowhere to be seen.

Steve leaned over to Tony and whispered in his ear, “Do you know where Bucky is?”

“He stepped out this morning, said he needed to get something,” Tony murmured then yawned loudly. His boyfriend’s lips twitched into a smirk and he added, “A _flowery_ something.”

Steve chewed on his lip nervously. Coulson had lifted the restriction on Bucky’s living conditions two months ago. Bucky was allowed to leave the Tower unaccompanied. The prospect still made Steve uneasy. He had seen Bucky slip into his Winter Soldier state that was uncaring and ignorant of the value of life. He was the only one on the team that could get him out of it and he had to do it a number of times as Bucky remembered more pieces of his past. It had been many months since his last episode and supposedly Bucky was in control now but it still made Steve nervous.

“Pops, can we get hot dogs at the pier again after the zoo?” Peter asked, drawing Steve back to their conversation.

“You’re thinking about eating again while we’re eating?” Steve teased, pushing his unfounded fears about Bucky out of his mind. He was getting Natasha flowers. It was a simple process. He would be fine.

“It will be lunchtime, _Pops_ ,” Peter groaned. “ _And_ I want to see the ships again.”

Steve grinned and said, “Of course, Peter. We’ll make a day of it and maybe even stop by Coney Island and walk the boardwalk, go on some rides, check out the aquarium…”

Peter grinned and gasped, “Yes!!”

Bucky suddenly appeared and announced his presence by slamming a vase in the middle of the table filled with bulbous purple flowers. Everyone jumped back from the bouquet, shocked by it sudden appearance.

The bouquet was modest, containing three stems and each stem had over two dozen tiny flowers on each end. The flowers were six pointed stars and the points curled inward toward the base of the petals. They were bundled so close together that the stalk of the stem could not be seen beyond the petals.

Bucky took the chair at the opposite end of the table, placing himself between Tony and Clint. A plate had been laid out for him and he mutely reached out for the platter of pancakes and took a large stack for his plate. He eyed the syrup choices then grabbed the closet one, the peach.

Everyone looked from him to the flowers then back to him again.

“What’s with the flowers?” Peter questioned.

“They’re hyacinths,” Bucky murmured in explanation. He coated his pancakes in syrup then placed the bottle down back down from where he retrieved it. He cut into the food and shoveled a large piece into his mouth.

Peter raised an eyebrow and asked, “...But why did you get those hyia-flowers?”

“Because I like what they represent,” Bucky replied, keeping his eyes on his pancakes.

“Springtime?” Tony asked sarcastically, looking everywhere but Natasha.

Bucky slowly swallowed his food and his eyes flicker up to the flowers then back down to his plate. He whispered, “I read online about the language of flowers…and purple hyacinths mean: sorrow and I am sorry.” His eyes flickered up and brushed over Natasha then fell down to her plate. Bucky whispered, “And ‘Please forgive me.’”

Silence blanketed the table and Steve tensed, waiting for Natasha’s explosive anger. Steve stared tensely at her but her face was blank, revealing nothing. She stared at the flowers and her lips thinned.

Natasha abruptly stood and the legs of her chair scratched at the floor loudly as it was pushed back. Bucky flinched and his grip tightened on his fork. His eyes bore into the area around Natasha’s plate. He could probably see her clenched fists but not her hardened expression.

Her eyes narrowed at the flowers then her gaze shot to Bucky. Steve’s friend had still not raised his gaze but he seemed to shrink under her glare like he somehow knew it was there.

Steve was ready to throw himself between them if they got physical or jump in to stop the eventual argument.

Instead, Natasha pushed herself away from the table and spun on her heel, leaving the room in a quick gait. As soon as she left the room Bucky slowly stood and stared at the door she exited.

“Go after her!” Tony hissed.

“But…” Bucky whispered, his expression stark.

“Go!” Thor urged excitedly. He wore a big happy grin as he looked from the flowers to Bucky.

Bucky looked sick and he looked questionably to Steve. Steve smiled sympathetically at Bucky and said, “Don’t leave a pretty dame hanging, Buck.”

Bucky gulped and nodded. He clenched his fists and followed Natasha out.

As soon as Bucky stepped out of the room, Tony said, “Jarvis, bring up a live video feed.” Holograms appeared in the middle of the table, above the flowers, showing Natasha standing at the elevator and Bucky cautiously approaching her.

“He has zero romance,” Tony grumbled. “I can’t believe he got her flowers meaning ‘ _sorrow_!’”

“ _Shh_!” Steve hissed as Bucky slowed to a stop a few feet from Natasha.

“Natasha,” Bucky called out gently, his voice slightly bumpy from the static.

Natasha retorted harshly in Russian.

“Jarvis, we need subtitles!” Tony hissed and everyone leaned forward, even Bruce, who looked quite sheepish as he did it.

[—Why? Why do you keep doing this?]

[…Because I still feel something,] Bucky murmured in reply. He kept his gaze downcast and speared into the ground by Natasha’s feet.

[There is nothing there,] Natasha growled, taking a threatening step toward him.

Bucky stood his ground and raised his gaze to meet Natasha’s. He stated, [I do not believe you, otherwise you would not be so upset.]

Natasha surged forward and punched him square in the nose. Bucky could have dodged it or blocked it but instead stood still so she could hit him with all her might. He fell back and Natasha spun around, passing the elevator and going to the emergency stairs. Bucky made no move to follow her.

“End hologram,” Tony groaned. They all leaned back into their seats with heavy sighs except for Steve who stood up.

Steve grabbed Bucky’s unused cloth napkin and left the room without another word.

Bucky remained where he stood in the hall with stooped shoulders and a forlorn expression trained on the point where Natasha disappeared. Steve rushed up beside him then pressed the napkin into his bloody nose. Bucky winced but put his hand over Steve’s and applied additional pressure. Steve removed his hand and he was glad to see Bucky keep the napkin up to his nose.

“Tony’s going to chide you for using flowers that mean ‘I’m sorry’ but…I just wanted you to know I think it was a great gesture. I think it reached her,” Steve whispered.

Bucky smiled, his teeth red from the blood dripping from his nose, and he said, “I agree.”

\---

 

~ Below is what a purple hyacinth looks like if you were wondering :)

 


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, Tony, Steve, and Bucky all gathered together in Steve and Tony’s kitchen to discuss Project Winterwidow Part Three. In the living room, Peter and Harry were playing.

They were getting nowhere until Steve made a silly suggestion.

“I don’t even know if she knows how to dance,” Steve muttered embarrassingly.

“She did ballet,” Bucky commented, his gaze was far off and looking at nothing in particular.

“And you did the jitter bug. It’s a match made in heaven,” Tony teased Bucky, bumping him lightly with his elbow. Bucky glanced incredulously at Tony then shot Steve a look from across the counter and his gaze seemed to ask, “You’re really dating this?”

Steve smiled knowingly at his friend then looked to Tony and his boyfriend’s smile made him flush. They had been throwing out ideas when Steve mentioned dancing. Dancing was more of a social thing to do in the 1940s but the only “dancing” done in the 21st century was more of a bump and grind in loud, dark clubs with strangers. Steve, murmured, “Listen, the dancing was just me thinking aloud. It was more for me than Natasha. She would probably break Bucky’s nose again if he tried.”

Steve paused and saw a particular look come across Tony’s face but disappeared in a blink. Tony shrugged and said, “Then we will have to think of something else…”

“Tony, please don’t do a surprise dance party for me and Natasha,” Steve sighed, knowing his boyfriend too well. “I can’t dance. I have never even tried and its slow dancing…It’s boring.” For a moment, his mind flashed back to his time with Peggy and their promised date. For a moment, he let himself regret the lost opportunity.

“Never say never,” Tony retorted. He pushed himself from his spot and rounded the counter to Steve’s side. He pulled Steve away from the counter and into his arms. Tony explained, “Nothing is boring with Tony Stark and dancing is relatively easy if you have the right partner. Jarvis, music!”

AC/DC started playing and Tony grinned cheekily at Steve. Steve flushed and stood ridged in Tony’s hold. A flush crept up his cheeks and he stammered, “W-We can’t dance to this!”

Peter and Harry came over and stared curiously at them. Steve’s flush deepened with the extra audience.

“Jarvis, let’s go with a Junior Prom soundtrack,” Tony said with a grin that repressed his laughter. Slower, classical music started to play and Steve felt himself relax tremendously. Tony wrapped his arms around Steve and nuzzled his face into Steve’s chest then began to sway back and forth. Steve found himself swaying with him. He wrapped his arms around him too and laid his cheek on top of Tony’s head. A small smile twitched at his lips.

“And just like that we are dancing,” Tony whispered into his chest.

“We’re hugging and leaning side to side,” Steve replied dryly but his smile remained. The dancing was nice and created a bubbly, happy feeling within him.

“I told you dancing was easy,” Tony chuckled.

“Why are they doing that?” Peter whispered to Bucky, drawing Steve back to the situation. Bucky affectionately rubbed the top of Peter’s head as Steve and Tony separated.

“…Your Pops just felt like dancing,” Bucky explained to the little boy. Peter and Harry exchanged confused glances then shrugged. They went back into the living room and started playing again. Bucky continued, “I think Steve is right about Natasha hitting me. She will punch me before I get that close. Dancing is out.”

Tony groaned loudly into Steve’s chest. He stopped swaying and whispered, “We’ll continue this later…” Tony turned to Bucky but stayed connected to Steve with through a lightly clasped hand and by leaning into his side.

“Bucky’s right,” Steve commented. “But we can’t give up. We are thinking along the right lines…The flowers made an impact. Maybe we should keep up with that line of thinking?”

“Nothing drastic?” Tony reiterated.

“Nothing like Project One,” Bucky murmured dryly.

“How about getting her chocolate to couple with those flowers?” Tony suggested. Steve wrapped his arm across Tony’s back and settled his hand into place on his hip.

“The flowers are still sitting where I left them on the table,” Bucky stated morosely.

Tony sighed again and leaned heavily into Steve. He looked up to Steve and said, “I am running out of ideas. What did I do to make you fall for me?”

Steve smiled at him and reached over to brush the dark hair off his forehead. Steve murmured, “Our relationships are _very_ different.”

“Come on, inspire me,” Tony said.

Steve flushed, they never really talked about it. He slowly murmured, “…Well we were best friends for a long time – _years_.” Steve paused.

“ _Yes_ ,” Tony elaborated for him to continue.

“And – _well_ – One day, you just gave me this look and I just knew,” Steve mumbled, his flush growing bright red. Tony smiled warmly at him and turned to lean into his chest.

He placed his hands on Steve’s chest and asked in a low whisper, “What kind of look was it?”

“Not the one you’re thinking of,” Steve whispered, his flush growing deeper as he imagined the inappropriate thoughts running through his lover’s mind.

“What was it then?” Tony teased.

Steve glanced at Bucky and saw his friend watching the both of them with interest. He looked down, his face was beet red at this point. Steve whispered, “It was nothing really, you looked up at me…but your eyelashes were in the way of your eyes and I thought…I thought your eyelashes were nice. They were so thick and I had not noticed until that point. I thought it handsome and then I realized that _you_ were handsome. It was at that point I realized my feelings towards you were changing.”

It was something so little and so silly. He never told Tony before because it was not very romantic.

Tony’s eyelids dropped a fraction and his hooded eyelashes shadowed Tony’s eyes similarly to the first time Steve noticed it. Steve felt himself relax into his familiar, warm gaze. Tony lightly ran his hands up Steve’s chest and wrapped his hands behind his neck.

“You are so cute,” Tony gushed then pulled him down into a kiss. His words took Steve by surprise and it took a couple seconds for Steve to respond to Tony’s kiss. Steve closed his eyes as he returned the kiss and leaned heavily into Tony.

“What about you?” Steve asked, breaking their kiss. “I know you had a crush on me for a long time but when did you start thinking about asking me out?” Steve and Tony always told people about their silly misunderstanding when they first asked each other out but they had never dived deeper into it.

“After the Chitauri attack…after I went through the vortex,” Tony stated. “When I woke, and you were above me, all I could think was ‘I died and am in heaven’ and when I realized I was alive my next thought was ‘I hoped he kissed me.’ It was with those thoughts I knew…I knew my childhood crush was something more than a crush…”

Steve felt his jaw slacken as it all came together. Guilt hit him and he whispered, “You and Pepper broke up not long after that…”

“It was mutual, it still hurt a fucking lot, but we knew we were going in separate directions so we thought it best we end things before it got any more serious…” Tony replied, his gaze dropping a fraction. “I tried to work it out between us and pretend I did not like you that way. But she could not handle Iron Man and…well _I am Iron Man_ and I cannot change that part of me anymore than you can change being Captain America…After we broke up and after I finished mourning our relationship, that’s when I let myself think about it again…”

“All those years, Tony. I never realized it was that long,” Steve gasped. He felt bad for being oblivious to it all.

“I thought it would only be one-sided,” Tony replied with a shrug. Tony smirked and stated, “You would not believe how amazing it was when you told me you were gay! It was like I had all the 4th of July fireworks displays from the last five years going off in my head all at once! Then after that I started to pay attention. I noticed you watching me, saw the looks you gave me when you thought I was not looking. And you liked to touch me more than friends usually touched so I took courage from those gestures and made my move. I was still freaked out that I had constructed the signs in my head and you would reject me though…But you did not,” Tony said with a stupid grin that Steve instantly mirrored.

“You two fell in love by just watching each other,” Bucky scoffed. “You’re literally a freaking fairy tale romance.”

“It was more than just watching each other,” Steve retorted with a pout to his friend.

On the inside, he was overjoyed by Tony’s words. He could not believe he missed the signs that Tony was also attracted to him all those years ago. Looking at him now, Steve could see the love in Tony’s gaze and hear the affection in his voice.

In the 40s, Steve had been ashamed of his attraction to men and before he started dating Tony, his attraction to Tony embarrassed him. Now everything they did was so natural and Steve could not imagine going a day without kissing his boyfriend or telling each other that they loved each other.

“Well Natasha and I aren’t no fairy tale,” Bucky stated with a frown. “Our lives are more like a nightmare…”

Steve and Tony traded sad glances as Bucky stared dejectedly down at his hands.

“So much for getting ideas off this,” Steve sighed. Natasha and Bucky’s relationship were vastly different than Steve and Tony’s. He did not think it would have worked but he was glad they still talked about it. It was a piece of Tony he never knew and now knowing it made him love him even more.

“No wait… _Wait_ , there’s got to be more to that moment you first kissed her. Just like with me and Steve. What were you thinking? Do you remember? What if you told her? I mean – _What_ Steve just said was so adorable it made me want to kiss him all over! If you told her how you felt you might elicit a similar reaction.” Steve grinned at Tony as his statement made him want to kiss him too.

“What do you think I have been trying to do all this time?” Bucky grumbled.

“Maybe we need to stick with the old fashioned approach?” Steve interjected, suddenly inspired. Both Tony and Bucky looked questionably at Steve and Steve explained, “A letter. Write her a letter telling her your true feelings.”

“A love letter?” Tony reaffirmed.

“A love letter,” Steve stated with a nod and Bucky’s gaze turned inward and thoughtful as he already began composing it.

\---

Bucky jumped right on the idea and spent over a week on the letter. He would not let Steve or Tony read what he was compiling. When Steve visited him, he found Bucky’s living room filled with crumpled papers. From what he could see of them, they were all written in Russian.

Bucky wrote out the letter by hand and snuck onto Natasha’s floor when she was out, leaving the message on her bed.

Days went by in which Bucky was continuously tense and Natasha showed no change whatsoever.

Tony, meanwhile, kept his promise but Steve had forgotten about it until Tony brought it up again.

“What?” Steve asked, thinking he misheard him.

Tony pressed a button at his workstation and said, “I promised you a dance.”

A slow jazz number began to play lightly in the background and the lights dimmed.

Steve put down his sketchbook and grinned eagerly at Tony. When did Steve become so blessed that he warranted such a perfect boyfriend?

“Come here, beautiful,” Tony whispered, holding his hand out to Steve.

Steve slid off the couch and stepped into Tony’s arms. They automatically began to sway like before and Steve did not find it so ridiculous.

“I am a master at Junior Prom dance style but if you want to learn some actual dance moves like the waltz or whatever then we’re going to have to take a class,” Tony stated.

“You would take a class for me?” Steve asked sweetly.

“I’d do anything for you, babe, even take a tap dancing class.”

Steve chuckled as he imagined the sight and rested his head on top of Tony’s. He whispered into his lover’s hair, “No, this is fine…It’s perfect.”

“That settles it, this is going to be our wedding dan-dance,” Tony stated the last bit uncertainly. Steve stopped and peered down at Tony. It was not a proposal but it was talk of a future they never discussed. He knew many couples did it but they never broached on it before. Steve had never even considered it. He knew that men could get married now but just dating Tony alone was revolutionary to him, marriage was mind-blowing.

But it was not too hard of a concept for him to embrace. He could see himself marrying Tony one day.

“That sounds perfect too,” Steve whispered and Tony grinned. He added, “But no AC/DC on my wedding day.”

Alarm crossed Tony’s features and he gasped, “No! That- That’s _blasphemy_!”

Steve laughed and picked Tony off his feet to spin him around.

“Put me down, blasphemer!”

“No,” Steve replied, “I don’t want to.” He wanted to hold Tony for the rest of his life. Already, in his head, he envisioned a number of scenarios in which he would propose to Tony. Instead, at that moment, he decided to lower Tony down in a dip and kiss him deeply. Tony’s head was inches from the ground and Tony’s feet were above both of them.

“You big idiot,” Tony murmured into his mouth but then wrapped his hands behind Steve’s head and returned the kiss.

\---

“Do you think she got it?” Bucky finally broke much later that night.

Steve and Tony groggily woke up.

“What time is it?” Tony groaned into Steve’s neck.

“Bucky?” Steve asked sleepily, pushing himself up. Tony slid off Steve’s chest and to his lap. He grumbled sleepily, wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist, and buried his face into the flesh of his abdomen. Steve glanced at the clock on his bedside table, it was a little past three in the morning.

“Do you think she got it??” Bucky repeated, most definitely referring to the letter he had written Natasha. He stood in their doorway, clutching the frame.

“I think you need to turn around and think on that question a few more hours,” Tony grumbled into Steve’s stomach. Steve lightly patted Tony’s head and ran his fingers through his soft hair.

“You left it on her bed?” Steve asked to confirm the answer already knew.

“Yes!” Bucky gasped, stepping into their room. He began to pace and Steve leaned back against the headboard. He could tell it was going to be a long night.

“Then she has to have gotten it,” Steve reasoned.

“ _BUT_ why hasn’t she said anything!”

“…I don’t know, Bucky,” Steve sighed. He had worked with Natasha for years in both the Avengers and SHIELD and he only knew what Natasha wanted him to know. He reasoned, “Maybe she just doesn't want you to know she knows.”

“Why though??”

“Because maybe it worked!!” Tony hissed. He pushed himself off Steve and glared at Bucky. He growled, “If it pissed her off she would have shoved it down your throat! Now get out of my room before I shove my pillow down your throat instead!”

“Tony gets a little grumpy when he’s woken earlier than he’s used to,” Steve whispered apologetically and rubbed some calming circles into the flesh of Tony’s back. Tony leaned into his touch with a light sigh. Bucky did not seem to hear him however and he stopped pacing and stared at the wall, his gaze calculating.

“Maybe she’s just considering her choices,” Steve guessed.

Bucky looked to Steve and hopefully stated, “Maybe…Maybe?” Bucky ran his tongue over his teeth and repeated less confidently, “…Or maybe not? Why hasn’t she approached me then?? She hasn’t said a word! She would say something, wouldn’t she?”

“We are not analyzing the motives of Natasha Romanov at three in the morning!” Tony groaned, falling back onto his pillow with a light thump.

“The letter is just another step, like with the flowers,” Steve murmured, ignoring Tony.

“So I failed again,” Bucky stated misinterpreting his words.

“No, Buck—,” Steve began.

“Yes! You still haven’t won her over yet so you failed! We’ll start Project Winterwidow Part Four tomorrow! _Now go_! Before I throw my pillow at you!” Tony hissed.

Steve rolled his eyes then shrugged at Bucky uselessly. There was not much they could do at this hour.

Bucky sighed heavily then left. By the way he hunched his shoulders, Steve could tell he was going to be thinking about this all night.

Steve sighed to himself then settled down next to Tony. Tony automatically pulled himself into Steve and grumbled nonsense into his chest.

“’Throw my pillow at you,’” Steve quoted in a tease and Tony growled into his flesh. Steve chuckled as he closed his eyes and lay his head on top of Tony’s.

“I’ll throw a pillow at you,” Tony threatened.

“I love you too, Tony” Steve whispered.

Tony grumbled indignantly again and Steve could have sworn he heard something about AC/DC but Tony’s pillow stayed firmly beneath his head. Steve cuddled up to him and sighed contently before letting himself relax back into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays!

“I’m the real Captain America!” Steve gasped.

“No! I’m the real one! It’s me! It’s me, I’m Steve!” The imposter, who could have been his identical twin, gasped with Steve’s voice. The man looked just like Steve. He had Steve’s uniform, shield, and even the same dimples which Tony gushed over. Was the imposter a clone?

Or maybe an evil twin? The man tried to rob a bank using Steve’s visage. The Avengers usually did not handle bank robberies but when they heard it was Captain America robbing the bank they had to check it out.

The imposter ran as soon as he saw them. Steve got to him first, wanting to question his look-a-like. They scuffled and when they separated, he could tell by the looks his team was giving them, that they could not tell the difference between the two of them.

They were both backed into a corner with Iron Man and the Falcon hovering overhead and the Winter Soldier and the Black Widow standing in front of them with guns trained on them.

Upon the imposter’s exclamation using Steve’s name, everyone’s weapons pointed at Steve.

“Oh come on!” Steve gasped, raising his hands higher. “Do I really have to start spilling secrets in front of this cock-eyed meatball to prove I’m the real Steve?!”

Bucky and Natasha both automatically pointed their weapons at the imposter, while Tony and Sam exchanged confused glances.

“Anyone could look up weird insults from the 40s,” the imposter growled indignantly.

“Then why don’t you use one?” Bucky asked and the imposter frowned and said nothing. Tony and Sam pointed their weapons at the imposter. Steve sighed feeling a sense of relief and lowered his arms slightly.

“I can’t think of one right now!” The imposter gasped.

“Then answer this…out of everyone here, who is the Fuddy-Duddy?” Bucky asked, looking expectantly at Steve with a hint of a smile hidden behind his gaze.

Steve sighed heavily and his imposter glanced nervously at him.

“I hate you,” Steve groaned.

Iron Man was silent but he could imagine Tony laughing behind his mask. Steve knew him well enough that he probably looked up the term as soon as Bucky said it.

“Can the real Steve please answer?” Bucky asked, smirking at Steve and not talking his gun off the imposter. He already knew but he wanted Steve to answer.

“Tha-Tha…” The imposter struggled for words.

“I am the Fuddy-Duddy,” Steve declared, dropping his hands. “Happy, Buck?”

“Very,” Bucky said and he shot the imposter in the leg. The imposter yelped and dropped to the ground.

“Alright, I give,” Sam said and the thrusters on his wings lessened their output. He landed on the ground and his thrusters totally turned off. He asked, “What the hell is Fuddy-Duddy?”

Tony threw back his head and laughed and Bucky smothered a chuckle. Steve flushed and explained, “It’s what guys from the forties called old fashioned people.”

Natasha smirked and murmured, “I like it.”

“I’m the real Steve,” the imposter moaned in vain.

“No, you’re a meatball,” Bucky said. “Any everyone with half a brain knows Steve’s first name. What’s Peter’s middle name?”

The imposter narrowed his blue eyes and hissed, “Fuck you.”

“Okay, that proves it,” Tony stated, landing next to Steve. “Our Captain never curses…” Tony leaned close to Steve and privately whispered, “Except when I touch him just _right_.”

This metal fingers brushed over the curve of Steve’s ass and Steve shivered. His flush grew and he glared at his boyfriend. Steve never cursed, not even in stressful situations. But when he and Tony made love, his boyfriend knew exactly how to make him come undone and some curse words were prone to escape him during the more heated moments. 

Behind his metal mask, Steve could easily envision Tony’s hidden cocky smile.

Bucky turned the imposter onto his chest and pulled his arms behind his back. Natasha handed him some handcuffs and Bucky accepted them with a grin.

“Hmmm,” Tony murmured thoughtfully. “I think I finally figured out what to do for Project Winterwidow Part Four…”

“Find him an evil twin who does not know 1940s terminology?” Steve asked, brushing dirt off his uniform from his scuffle with his imposter.

“No, look at them,” Tony said, nodding in the couple’s direction. Steve followed Tony’s direction and watched as Bucky made Steve’s imposter get to his feet and Natasha grab the man’s other arm. She murmured something in Russian to Bucky and the Winter Solider retorted in Russian with a chuckle. Tony continued, “Whenever they fight together, they’re fine! We should use that to get them together! Let’s send them on a mission that ends somewhere romantic…”

To everyone’s surprise, the imposter suddenly stated something in Russian. Natasha hit him over the back of the head and demanded, “Who are you?”

The imposter dropped his head and his entire form began to change. His body shrunk and his face paled and became a light silver. Steve’s face turned into a featureless metal mask, two dark blue eyes glared at them from slits in the mask.

“The Chameleon,” Natasha supplied. “He is the master of disguise…But he’s supposed to be an elusive spy to be bought by the highest bidder, not a one-bit criminal bank robber.”

The Chameleon grinned and shrugged. He said, “There are no jobs right now and I needed the money…”

Natasha hit him over the head and said, “Try again.”

The Chameleon hissed from the smack and murmured, “Someone _may_ have paid me to impersonate one of the Avengers and rob a bank.”

“And that someone is..?” Bucky growled.

“Anonymous,” the Chameleon retorted with a cackle.

Natasha rolled her eyes and said, “SHIELD will get you talking soon enough.”

She and Bucky dragged the man away as he started to hiss what sounded like nasty expletives in Russian.

“Who do you think hired that guy to impersonate Steve?” Sam asked, stepping next to Steve and Tony.

Tony shrugged and said, “Anyone who wanted to tarnish the Avengers and that’s a lot of people.”

“Glad, I’m only a part-timer. I can’t believe some of the stuff you guys put up with,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I’m going to head out. I’ve got a meeting with the V.A…unless you need any more from me?”

“No, we’re good, Sam,” Steve replied. “Thanks for coming.”

Sam nodded then waved good bye. Both Steve and Tony waved in reply as he took off.

“…How do we send them on a mission with a romantic outcome?” Steve questioned Tony, referring back to their prior conversation.

Tony replied in his static Iron Man voice but Steve could hear the confidence in his tone as he stated, “I will think of something.”

\---

The romantic mission was put on hold when an actual mission was thrown at them.

Natasha took the Chameleon to SHIELD. Bucky drove back in the team’s car and Tony flew Steve back with him to the nearby Tower. They landed on the balcony to their apartment and Steve let go of Tony, shaking the cold out of his limbs. The flight was short and was not high enough for ice but the wind chill was still freezing. He didn’t know how Sam flew with his face exposed all the time!

“Jarvis?” Tony murmured in surprise. Steve turned around and saw Tony peering down at the ground which should have been opening and dismantling the armor from his person. Louder, he repeated, “Jarvis??” As if the AI did not hear him.

Jarvis remained silent and Steve felt the breath freeze in his throat. Something was not right.

Steve instantly left the balcony and ran inside, calling out to the AI inside the buliding, “Jarvis??”

There was still no reply. Steve returned to Tony and gasped, “Nothing.”

Tony’s faceplate rose, revealing an uneasy expression. He hissed, “The suit disconnected as soon as we landed. _The entire Tower is offline!”_

“Peter?” Steve gasped. Bruce was babysitting him in his lab as the rest of them went to check out the bank robbery. Thor and Clint were not in the building.

“Call Bruce,” Tony hissed. Steve was already one step ahead of him, running to the where he left his cell phone on the kitchen counter. All the power was off in their apartment. The refrigerator no longer hummed and the digital clock on the microwave was blank.

“What the hell,” Steve gasped. Tony’s Tower was a fortress and Jarvis was supposed to be indestructible.

He dialed Bruce and his friend picked up on the first ring.

“Steve!” Bruce gasped. “Thank God! Are you guys done fighting that bank robber? The power went out and I have been trying to get a hold of someone to help us! The door to my lab is electronically locked and Hulk proof so even Peter can’t break it!”

“Peter’s fine?” Steve gasped. “You’re both fine?”

“Yes…What happened?” Bruce asked, his voice growing grave as he heard the tension in Steve’s tone.

“I don’t know,” Steve whispered. He returned to the living room and was surprised to see Tony gone. He looked outside and saw him floating several feet away from the Tower’s perimeter.

“I am able to connect to Jarvis out here,” Tony stated. “Jarvis does not notice anything is amiss. Are Peter and Bruce alright?”

“Yes, but they are locked in Bruce’s lab,” Steve called out to him and sagged in relief. Peter was fine and Jarvis was going to be okay. He could not imagine what would happen to Tony if they lost the AI. Jarvis was family to him.

The source of the problem was found, an hour later, in an USB embedded into one of the secretaries’ computers at the front desk. It had leaked a virus into the Tower’s system that rebooted the Tower’s AI every five minutes. Tower-Jarvis tried to rebuild its systems every time but it took too long and by the time the five minutes were up, Jarvis was unable to send out a distress signal and was rebooted again. Power was lost to the Tower without Jarvis’s direction, as were the security systems and all the camera footage. The Jarvis unit in Tony’s suit received no distress signal so thought nothing was wrong and the virus projected a signal, mimicking an active Tower-Jarvis. The Suit-Jarvis thought nothing was wrong so gave no warnings to Tony.

Someone had successfully breached the Tower while they were gone.

The employees at the Tower thought it was an out power-breaker. Tony was the only one who knew how to operate the Tower’s arc reactor but, without Jarvis, the Tower employees had no way to contact Tony for help. In the meantime, they had been trying to get ahold of Pepper to contact Tony.

Bruce and Peter were the only Avengers at the Tower and had been trapped in Bruce’s lab the entire time, so they saw nothing. Clint had been training recruits at SHIELD HQ and Thor was with Jane on the other side of the country in New Mexico. The rest of the team left to check out the “Captain America” robbing the bank.

They gathered in the community room after Tony had found and destroyed the virus.

“The Chameleon was a distraction,” Bucky hissed. Natasha nodded in agreement. Tony did not seem to hear them as he was busily typing away on three different holograms hovering in front of him. A look of total concentration was splayed across his face and his mouth seemed to be set in a permeant frown. The virus shook him. He thought no one could outsmart him or his machines and now he was trying to add more armor to a system he thought virtually imperishable.

“SHIELD was able to figure out where he was staying, we should check it out,” Natasha said, looking at Bucky. Bucky nodded and they left together without another word.

Steve sighed heavily. They were working together and doing it alone but this is not how he imagined Part Four of Tony’s scheme to turn out.

“Is Jarvis going to be okay?” Peter asked Steve. Between Peter’s fingers, Steve saw the dog-tag he had given his son being twirled nervously. Peter no longer wore it around his wrist like he did when he was a toddler but had it on a chain, like Steve’s, around his neck.

Tony’s lab had been broken into and his door had been blown off its hinges. Bruce and Peter did not her any explosions but Peter thought he might have heard someone laughing.

They had no idea what the perpetrators were after. Tony’s lab was in a disarray but nothing seemed to be missing. The rest of the rooms were unaffected. The only clue left to them was the USB.

When the other two left, Steve watched Tony work and wanted to help him but was at a loss on how to…eventually, he stepped next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. Tony leaned heavily into his side and confessed, “I have no idea how they did this.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Steve stated.

“I can build firewalls to combat it but I can’t find any clues where this was made or by who…I might never figure it out. Whoever did this was smart,” Tony whispered, his gaze was hard as he stared at the holo-screens. “…What the hell did they want from _my lab?”_

“Maybe they got nothing,” Steve murmured, lightly caressing his arm. “Maybe, because the power was out, they could not get what they were looking for.”

“Maybe…” Tony murmured but he did not sound convinced.

“Did you check the lab for clues?” Peter interjected. Steve and Tony glanced through the holograms to his son. Peter was sitting on the end of the couch, kicking his feet lightly against the bottom of the couch. Peter explained, “It’s how they do it on Scooby-Doo.”

Tony smirked and said, “I wish it were that easy, Pete.”

“…Will the bad guys come back?” Peter asked, glancing nervously at them before looking back down at his feet. By the tone of his voice, Steve could tell Peter was trying to sound nonchalant but he was unable to totally mask the fear. Before Steve could react to Peter’s fear, Tony turned off his holograms and went to Peter’s side. He glanced at Steve then sat next to Peter and placed a hand on his back.

“No one else is going to breach the Tower ever again,” Tony promised him and rubbed his back. Peter’s lip trembled but he nodded bravely. It drew Steve to his son’s other side and he knelt beside the couch.

Steve smiled at his son and promised, “We’re safe here, Petey.”

\---

That night they went to bed later than usual. Steve and Tony were exhausted and, as soon as they wrapped their arms around each other they were asleep.

They slept for only a couple of hours before they were woken suddenly.

“…Pops? Uncle Tony?”

Steve and Tony both woke up and looked to their bedroom door. Peter stood there, illuminated only by the nightlight in the hallway. In his arms, Steve could just make out Peter’s favorite Iron Man toy.

“Peter?” Steve questioned.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” Peter asked, clutching the toy closer to his chest.

“Yeah, come here, buddy,” Tony murmured, displaying none of the grumpiness he had portrayed to Bucky for doing the same thing a few nights prior. Peter ran into their bedroom and jumped onto the bed. He positioned himself between them just like he used to do when he was a toddler and tucked himself under the covers.

Tony and Steve turned toward Peter and each draped an arm over him. Steve rubbed Peter’s chest and Tony patted his belly. Neither questioned him as to why he was there because it was obvious. This was the first time the Tower had been breached since Loki attacked New York and Peter had not been born at that point. It must have been frightening for him to suddenly realize their home was not a perfect haven.

“We love you, Pete,” Tony whispered into Peter’s scalp. Steve smiled gratefully at him. He reached over his son and grasped Tony’s arm. Tony raised his gaze and meet Steve’s with a warm smile. Peter tucked his head into Tony’s neck and sighed contently.

Steve was tempted to blurt out that Tony made an amazing father but bit back the words. He and Tony never discussed Tony’s role with Peter. They started dating when Peter was two-years-old so Peter and Tony were always constants in each other’s lives. Their dating was so natural that they did not even have to explain that they were dating to Peter or what it meant to be gay. To Peter, it was normal and Tony was just of a father to him as Steve was. Tony doted on Peter but Steve was scared to bring up parenthood with Tony. They’d been dating for over a year but they were only boyfriends. They were not married. Tony did not really have any responsibility to Peter and he did not want to unnecessarily impose it on him.

Tony looked questionably at him as all these thoughts filtered through Steve’s mind. He smiled at Tony then leaned forward. He kissed Tony’s forehead then the top of Peter’s head and whispered, “I love you both.”

The corners of Tony’s eyes crinkled from his smile and he leaned his cheek on top of Peter’s head. Peter was beginning to fall asleep so Tony mouthed the words, ‘I love you.’

He lightly grasped Steve’s hand and their linked hands rested on Peter as they all fell asleep together.

\---

That next morning, while they ate breakfast, Bucky and Natasha returned to the Tower with nothing.

“The Chameleon was paid in cash,” Bucky stated. He sat down heavily next to Steve and stole some toast off his plate.

“And he only spoke with his employer over the phone,” Natasha added, stepping behind Bucky. She did not sit down but placed a hand on the back of Bucky’s chair. She continued, “We pinpointed the phone calls but they were all made from a disposable phone. The person he spoke to sounded male and had an American accent. The Chameleon was able repeat his voice flawlessly but neither of us recognized it.”

“Did the Chameleon know what the guy was after?” Tony questioned tersely. His grip tightened around his coffee mug.

Bucky shook his head and Natasha said, “No.”

“Damn it,” Tony growled. He stated, “I got nothing on my end too. _Nothing_.”

“Whatever he came for, whether he got it or not, he will mess up,” Bucky stated. “They always mess up.”

“Or they nearly conquer the world like Loki,” Tony stated.

“Then we will face whatever challenge this intruder presents us and defeat him just as we did Loki,” Steve stated confidently. He grasped Tony’s shoulder and stated, “We’ll catch him. For now, let’s just be grateful he did not hurt Peter or Bruce and Jarvis escaped undamaged.”

Tony grinned and said, “This guy could have stolen all of my technology but there’s one thing the Avenger's have that he will never have…”

“What?” Peter piped up for the first time since Bucky and Nat returned.

Tony smirked at Peter and stated, “A Hulk.”

Bruce groaned and Peter giggled as Bruce caught his face as he head drooped.

Natasha rolled her eyes and said, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am overdue for a shower.” She went to leave but paused next to Bucky and lightly punched his arm. She murmured, “Like old times, boss.”

Bucky rubbed his arm and grinned at her. He replied, “Indeed.”

She left with a nod. Once she was out of earshot Tony raise his hand for a high five and said, “I think Winterwidow Part Four went off beautifully.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Bucky gasped, looking at Tony as if he were insane.

“Tony got it in his head that you two would end up together if you did a _romantic_ mission together,” Steve replied dryly but he clapped Tony’s hand all the same so he would put it down.

“Interviewing the Chameleon in a SHIELD interrogation room that smelt like stale cheese is not much of a mission nor very romantic,” Bucky retorted. He picked a slice of bacon off Steve’s plate and Steve elbowed his side.

“Get your own food,” he whispered with a grin and Bucky made a face at him.

“Wait, ‘ _romantic_?’ _Part four_??” Bruce clarified. He put down his spoon and paused in eating his oatmeal. “What have you three been doing?”

“Trying to set up the Russian assassins,” Tony explained.

“Have you never seen the way Natasha reacts around Bucky?” Bruce asked, raising a single eyebrow.

“Did you not just see the interaction between them?” Tony gasped.

“It wasn’t romantic,” Bucky stated with a frown.

“It was civil! Between you two that’s almost as if I threw Steve down on the table and ravished him in front of everyone!”

“…What does ravish mean?” Peter questioned innocently and Steve shot Tony a glare.

“It’s adult tickling,” Tony explained with a smirk and Steve bit back a groan. Peter’s brows pinched together and a confounded expression crossed his face.

“We barely interacted since we left here yesterday, Stark,” Bucky stated. “And when we did communicate it was to discuss tactics and strategies.”

“Ooooh tactics and strategies, how sexy,” Tony purred.

Bucky rolled his eyes and said, “If this was really Part Four then it failed. There was nothing sexy or romantic about it.”

“You like Aunt Tasha?” Peter asked, finally catching on.

Bucky smiled lightly at Peter and said, “Yes, and I think she likes me but she’s also angry at me.”

“Why?”

Bucky glanced at Steve then cautiously explained, “…You know, before I moved in I did not remember who I was.”

“But you’re remembering,” Peter stated.

“Yes,” Bucky elaborated with a grin. “But when I was first remembering I remembered your Pops first. Aunt Tasha and I used to… _date_ and I tried to…uh, _date_ your dad when I first remembered him.

“ _Date_ ,” Tony scoffed under his breath, rolling his eyes.

“ _It_ upset Aunt Tasha,” Bucky pushed on. “And I remembered that I loved her too late. I hurt her, your Pops, and Uncle Tony in the process.”

“I’ve forgiven you, you stupid bag of bolts,” Tony stated. Steve reached under the table and grasped Tony’s hand. Tony grasped it in return and smiled warmly at him. Steve or Tony did not need to say anything. With their eyes they silently reaffirmed their love. Steve still felt guilty about it but, to Tony, it was all in the past.

“Was that why you got her the ‘I’m sorry’ – hiya flowers?” Peter asked with a pinched brow as he was trying to understand all of this.

Bucky nodded.

“And she is still mad?” Peter asked with a slight frown.

Again Bucky nodded and his hands started to creep toward Steve’s plate again.

“…Is there anything I can do to help?” Peter asked.

Bucky’s hand stilled and Tony leaned forward with a look of renewed interest.

“Tony, no…” Steve said, knowing his boyfriend too well.

“But Peter is so cute and he has your eyes, no one can say no to those eyes when they get all big and adorable and blue and…”

“And he’s four-years-old,” Steve reminded him.

“He’s a very smart and noble four-year-old,” Tony countered, leaning closer to Peter. Peter grinned under Tony’s praise.

“He is her Godson,” Bruce added. “He’s the closest thing she has to family.”

“And Natasha loves him very much,” Bucky added.

“Not both of you too…” Steve groaned. Even Bruce was getting into it.

Steve rubbed his forehead then looked up to his son. He said, “Peter, you don’t have to do anything. It is very nice that you want to help your aunt and uncle but you might upset Auntie Nat very much and I don’t want anything to ruin the relationship you two have.”

Peter looked down at the table with a frown then looked back up to Steve. He stated, “But if Aunt Tasha and Uncle Bucky love each other shouldn’t they be together?”

“’Out of the mouth of babes,’” Tony quoted.

Steve sighed, “Yes, yes they should and that’s why we’re trying.”

“So I can help?” Peter asked, rising slightly out of his chair.

Steve smiled at his son’s excitement then nodded his head.

“Welcome to Project Winterwidow Part 5, Petey!” Tony exclaimed, reaching across the table to high-five Peter. Peter stood on his chair and reached out to slap Tony’s hand. Peter then held his hand out to Bucky and Bucky leaned forward to lightly tap Peter’s hand with his metal fist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A villain finally appears but who is responsible for the break in at the tower?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter - first half is Natasha foiling the final part and the second half is my introducing the villain to the fifth and final part of the Superfamily series...

“You’re late,” Natasha informed Steve and Peter as they stepped into the gym. She sat on the training mats and was stretching to touch her toes with ease. She stood in one fluid motion and said, “You know what being late means, Peter.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Peter said with a light bow. As soon as he straightened, he leapt into a sprint and started running around the perimeter of the gym. The gym took up an entire floor so he had quite a distance to run.

“You make him run laps?” Steve guessed.

“Yes, it builds endurance, but he is not late often. I should blame you or Tony for that,” Natasha stated, walking up to his side.

Steve ran his hand through his hair and replied, “Yeah, Tony wanted a few more words with him…What will you be teaching him today?”

“We’re going to work on his flips. He’s a natural but he keeps landing in a crouched position and catching himself with his fingertips and making them stick to the mats. I keep telling him to not use his powers but he forgets in the heat of the moment,” Natasha said with a shrug. Peter had run the entirety of the gym in less than 30 seconds without a sweat or becoming winded and was slowing to a stop. Natasha yelled out to him, “Don’t stop until I tell you to!” Peter instantly leapt back into his jogging.

Natasha turned back to him and crossed her arms over her chest. She regarded him for a few seconds then asked, “Are you going to tell me why James has been acting so strangely or why you, him, and Tony go quiet around me?”

“…Uh,” Steve murmured. His mind instantly went blank as he tried to think of a good deflector to the question.

“You know I can tell when you are lying,” Natasha stated, her eyes narrowing. “And I am not daft. What is going on?”

“Well…Bucky…we…I mean…” Steve stammered looking for the right words.

“Steve, don’t make me look into this because if it involves me I am going to kick all of your asses.”

“Nat, it’s not that bad…” Steve began. Part five of the plan was already crumbling around him. He tried to salvage what he could and hoped it would not make things worse. “It’s just that Bucky remembers you and he misses you…”

“…You are not leading this where I think you are leading this,” she threatened. The arms crossed against her chest tightened.

“He wants to be with you again,” Steve stated with a flinch. “And we all think you might want to be with him too.”

Her face was blank but her eyes were calculating. Finally, she stated, “Stark did not keep Peter longer just to talk.”

Nat—,” Steve began.

“Peter!” Natasha hissed and Peter jolted to a stop several feet away. Natasha turned to him the demanded, “Tell me exactly what Uncle Tony told you to say to me.”

Peter frowned then looked questioningly to Steve. Steve silently nodded to Peter and Peter said, “He said I should ask if Uncle Bucky could train with us…c-cause I love Uncle Bucky…You love him, don’t you, Auntie Tasha?”

Natasha chose not to reply to Peter’s question. She turned to Steve with a deep frown and hissed, “You of all people should know I do not want anyone wrapped up in this.”

“I feel somewhat responsible. He remembered me first,” Steve tried to explain. Internally, he was flinching again. Natasha had been upset with Steve as well. The main reason she was upset with Bucky was because he remembered Steve over Natasha twice. She was upset with Steve because, when Bucky pursued Steve, Steve had wavered. Old feelings from the past compromised Steve and it almost destroyed his relationship with Tony. As both their friends, she had felt hurt by Steve’s near-betrayal too.

“So you use your son as blackmail!?” Natasha demanded, drawing Steve back to the present.

“It isn’t blackmail!” Steve retorted.

“Then what is it? Coercion? Brain washing? Steve, you and Tony butt out of our business and don’t you dare put Peter up to anything like this again!” She turned to Peter and snapped, “Run around the gym twenty more times, go through the usual exercises, do ten front flips and ten backflips in proper form then you are done for the day.” Natasha turned to Steve and said, “I suggest you watch him because I have to go threatened your boyfriend then break James’s nose _again_ because we clearly are no longer _civilized_ in this Tower!”

She stormed past him and Steve spun around and called out to her, “Natasha!”

He reached out to her but she dodged his touch. She turned to him and hissed, “Do not try to stop me or I _will_ break your nose too!” She paused then reaffirmed him with her gaze and stated, “This is going to stop now. This is not high school. We are all adults and you three need to start acting like it. What is going on between me and James will be handled by the two of us. Do you understand me, Steve? I need to hear that you understand me because I know you are a man of your word. You need to promise me this will stop.”

Steve winced and started, “Natasha –…”

“Steve, promise me you are going to stop this. I know James is your best friend but he—…He and I have a history you and Tony were _never_ a part of and can _never_ understand. So you need to stop this tomfoolery, alright?”

Steve sighed heavily, taking her words to heart. This had gone too far. They should have stopped at part one but…Steve just wanted his friends to be happy. But maybe somethings were not meant to be. He agreed, “You’re right. I promise, Natasha. We will stop.”

Natasha relaxed slightly and said, “Good. You will need to help me convince Tony, it’s going to take a lot more than my lecture to stop him.”

“I know,” Steve said with another sigh.

Natasha regarded him then turned to leave. With her back to him, she whispered, “The flowers did it.”

“Natasha?” Steve gasped, did he just mishear her or –?

“Keep your promise,” Natasha looked over her shoulder and threatened.

Steve nodded quickly and gasped, “Yes, yes, of course!”

She frowned and her eyes continued to burn with anger. Steve winced. Whatever hidden feeling Natasha eluded to would not save Tony or Bucky right now.

Behind him, he heard Peter stop running and begin his stretches. Steve glanced to Peter, then back to Natasha. He stated, “Don’t go too hard on either of them. We all had the best intentions at heart.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and, as she turned back to the elevator, said, “I can make no promises.”

In a few strides, she was gone.

“Jarvis,” Steve called out to the AI. “Can you warn Bucky and Tony of what just happened?”

“Yes, Master Rogers,” Jarvis replied.

“Thank you,” Steve sighed. It was all he could do for the two of them. At least they would be somewhat ready for her wrath.

Steve returned to his son’s side and his little boy continued his stretches but quickly threw a number of questions at him.

“Are we in trouble? How did she know? Can she read our minds?? Do you think she’s angry with me? Is she going to stop training me? What’s Auntie Tasha going to do to Uncle Tony and Uncle Bucky? Is she going to kill them??”

“She is not going to kill them,” Steve scoffed. He sat on the ground next to Peter and Peter paused in his stretching to give Steve his full attention. Steve continued, “Your aunt is going to give them the same lecture she just gave us, but she might be a little harsher on Uncle Bucky. And I doubt she is going to stop training you and I bet she has already forgiven you for the duplicity…And, no, she does not have mindreading powers.” Steve chuckled on the last statement but as he thought on it, he realized it was no laughing matter. Natasha with mind powers was frightening.

Peter chewed on Steve’s reply for a moment and did a set of stretches. As he sat up, he asked, “So we can’t help Uncle Bucky or Auntie Tasha get together anymore?”

“Not unless Auntie Nat wants us to,” Steve replied. His son jutted out his bottom lip in his replying frown.

“But what about Uncle Bucky?”

Steve sighed again. What about Bucky indeed? Steve stated, “Auntie Nat is right. It’s their business. I wouldn’t want anyone to butt in my relationship with Uncle Tony so it would not be fair to do the same to them.”

“…But if they love each other like you and Uncle Tony love each other then they _have_ to be together!” Peter reasoned.

Steve smirked and reached out to run his fingers through Peter’s hair. It made him unreasonably happy that Peter noticed how much Steve and Tony cared for each other.

He replied, “I know, Petey, believe me I know.”

\---

Natasha did not break Bucky’s nose but at dinner he was sporting a fairly large bruise under his right eye. Tony also appeared off edge and shot Natasha wary glances.

Clint was the last to sit down, taking his usual place beside Natasha. The archer grinned at his best friend, perhaps knowing what was going on then looked to the rest of the table. Thor and Jane sat at the end, the only ones oblivious to what had happened. They had returned the night prior after the break in at the Tower.

 _“Sooooo_ I hear we had an eventful day,” Clint said with a grin.

“Which you clearly want to be a part of,” Natasha observed silently. She did not look up from her plate and calmly asked, “Shall I punch you in the face like James or threaten your manhood like Stark?”

Steve glanced Tony’s way and his boyfriend grinned in confirmation of Natasha’s words. Clint laughed and denied both options. Thor’s mouth was full of food so he could not voice his evident questions. He and Jane look curiously at the involved parties but Steve caught their eyes and silently shook his head. After that, the subject was dropped and they returned to their usual dinner conversations.

“Have any of you learned anything new about the person who hired the Chameleon or the break in at the Tower?” Bruce questioned as he buttered his roll. He was the team’s lone vegetarian and had piled a tall salad and a number of carrots onto his plate.

Clint and Natasha traded glances and Clint stated, “Nothing at SHIELD. Chameleon’s not talking.”

“Nothing at this end either…” Tony groaned. “It’s like this guy was a ghost…”

“Do you think we’ll ever find out who did it?” Peter asked curiously.

“Eventually,” Steve guessed.

“And when we do, we will justly avenge the great Jarvis!” Thor promised, stabbing in steak knife into the table and drawing a grin from Tony.

“I’m not giving up until I find out who’s responsible,” Tony swore.

\---

Just as they were cleaning up dinner, all of their communicators went off. Steve was the first to pull his out and answer it.

“Cap here, what’s the mission?”

“HQ has been breached. All our high security prisoners have escaped, we need the team to help our agents round these people up. There are a lot of powered ones,” Coulson announced over the speaker.

“We’re on it,” Steve stated. He motioned for the Avengers to move out. Everyone jumped into action with the exception of Bruce who took his place by Peter. The Hulk would not be needed in such a delicate situation. He would only go if Coulson had requested him specifically.

“Do we have any intel on who breached the building?” Steve asked as he followed the rest of the team to the elevator.

“It’s a new player,” Coulson replied. “He has advanced technology. He came in on a flyer, had bombs, and transmitted a blocker that messed with our systems. We were unable to get video of him or pinpoint his location until he blew something up.”

The door sealed and the elevator began to move to the team locker room just above Bruce and Tony’s labs.

“A blocker?” Tony whispered and looked to Steve. Steve knew he thought the same thing as Tony. Could this new player be the one who hired the Chameleon?

“Do we have any description on this guy?” Tony leaned in and asked.

“A goblin,” Coulson retorted. “Those who have seen him describe him as a huge, green goblin.”

\---

By the agency’s estimate, 95% of the inmates were found and returned to their cells. The Chameleon was a part of the 5% who were not found.

The Goblin, as everyone was calling him, was among the missing criminals.

The Avengers helped with the roundup and then the cleanup until Coulson ordered them to return to the Tower to get some sleep. They would be needed again when more clues were found in the daylight.

Much later that night, Tony lay in bed with his tablet open on his lap. Steve was just finishing brushing his teeth and happened to glance into the bedroom and saw a look of extreme concentration on Tony’s face. Steve finished up in the bathroom and as he stepped back into the bedroom, Tony’s face instantly cleared. He quickly turned off his tablet and placed it on his bedside table.

“Something wrong?” Steve asked and Tony grinned at him.

“Furthest thing from it, babe,” Tony replied. He reached out to Steve and said, “Come to bed, I’m lonely.”`

Steve smiled and joined him. He grasped Tony’s outstretched hand and let him pull him the rest of the way in. He wrapped his arms around Tony and settled into his side. Tony started to kiss him and Steve readily accepted them but, after several seconds, broke away. Tony was distracted by something, he could tell by the way he was kissing. Steve asked, “Are you sure nothing is wrong?”

Tony sighed and said, “I was just thinking…”

“ _About_?” Steve implored.

“The Goblin was the one who probably broke into the tower. He’s smart enough to get by SHIELD. He probably planned it all out to a tee and had to be prepared if one of us stayed behind in the Tower…What if he came across me in the lab? Or Peter in the hall? Or you in the elevator? We would have been caught unaware…He could have killed any of us and it just has me thinking…”

“Thinking?”

“Thinking,” Tony agreed. He paused and picked up Steve’s left hand. He carded his fingers through Steve’s fingers and whispered, “I love you, Steve. I was thinking about how I have never loved someone as much as I love you. I was thinking about us, Peter, the Tower, our safety, our lives... _us_.” He paused and squeezed his hand and asked, “I love you. Can…Can we promise to tell each other that every night? No matter what? Even if we are fighting?”

“Of course,” Steve whispered. He drew Tony’s lips back to his and whispered into his mouth, “I love you to the ends of the Earth, Tony. Even if we are fighting about something stupid I will still love you.”

Tony relaxed into his hold and whispered, “Thanks…I love you, Steve. I love you, I love you, I lov –.” Tony would have probably kept whispering the sentiment if Steve had not smothered the words with his mouth.

He pushed Tony back into the mattress and physically showed him how much he loved him.

In the back of him mind, Tony’s words reverberated the rest of the night. The lab could easily be repaired but loosing either Peter or Tony would have destroyed Steve. Both of them unknowingly possessed a piece of his very soul.

That night they held each other closely and it would have taken the combined strength of all the Avengers to tear them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! I'm excited to write it! :D


	6. Chapter 6

When Steve entered the community room, Bucky was laying lengthwise on the couch. He had a newspaper (still refusing to use the tablet Tony gave him) and was reading it with a blank expression.

Tony was in the kitchen leaning against the counter, trying but failing at being inconspicuous as he watched the Winter Soldier. He was sipping some coffee and when Steve walked in he lifted his mug and said, “Morning, beautiful.”

Steve went straight to Tony. He lightly kissed his lips and chastised him, “You weren’t in bed this morning. You slipped into in the workshop after I fell asleep, didn’t you?”

“Guilty,” Tony stated with a grin. He leaned in closer and whispered, “I was putting together the finishing touches on Project Winterwidow Part 6.”

“One: If you had to put it together in the workshop it’s probably not a good idea to use,” Steve stated. “Two: _Project Winterwidow is over_! Natasha wants us to stop!”

“She threatened _all_ of us,” Bucky commented dryly from the couch, he was listening in but did not look up from the newspaper.

“And I don’t hear you objecting, Bionic Man,” Tony replied. When Bucky did not retort, Tony turned back to Steve, he said, “Part 6 is definitely going to work. Now that Natasha knows we can take a more direct approach. We just need Peter to do his wall crawling deal, carrying my awesome robot backpack, and th—.”

“We are not involving Peter again!” Steve gasped.

“It’s fine! He loves to help!”

“He’s just a child!” Steve countered.

“He…He is a very good boy,” Tony stated lamely as Natasha stepped into the room.

Natasha’s gaze spanned the room, taking in every single one of them. Bucky sat stiffly on the couch and Tony was suddenly very interested in his coffee. Steve glanced nervously at both men before turning to the assassin and saying, “Good morning, Natasha.”

She walked up to them, keeping the counter between them, and her back to Bucky. She said, “Good morning, Steve.” She looked to Tony and growled, “Stark.”

“Good morning to you as well, my fine lady,” Tony retorted, tipping his coffee mug to her.

Natasha’s face hardened and she said, “I know what you are planning. Stop now or I will retaliate. You do not want me in the middle of your and Steve’s relationship.”

“Wait a minute—,” Steve gasped. He had no part in this new scheme!

“I have no idea what you are talkin—,” Tony began smugly. Natasha slammed a small metal box on the counter in front of Tony and the smug look fell off his face. Tony instantly shut up and blanched. Steve eyed the box with a frown. What was it that it had the power to scare Tony such?

“Natasha…How did you get that?” Tony asked, trying to sound casual but Steve could read the hidden terror in his voice. Tony’s hand began to shake so he lightly placed the coffee mug on the counter.

Steve instantly was on edge by Tony’s manner. Whatever was in that box was bad news and it contained information Tony did not want Steve to know, information that might affect their relationship as Natasha eluded.

His first thoughts were of palladium poisoning. The box was made of the same material that used to hold the old chips that used to burn up in Tony’s reactor. It was big enough to hold at least three and fit in Tony’s pocket. Had he been carrying them around like a pillbox? After all these years, could his new reactor be poisoning him now too?

Bucky sat up and craned his neck to see what it was Natasha was threatening to expose. Upon seeing the box, he grinned and asked Natasha, “When did you find it? I came across it last Wednesday.”

Natasha turned to Bucky with a smirk and replied, “I found it last Monday. You’re getting sloppy, boss.”

“Ah, but how long did it take for you to find it?” Bucky retorted with a cocky grin.

“You two have been going through my stuff,” Tony stated, glaring at both of them. Neither Natasha nor Bucky looked his way and continued talking.

“Twenty minutes,” Natasha retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

“…on a regular basis,” Tony clarified, continuing his statement despite being ignored.

“Five minutes,” Bucky countered, also crossing his arms over his chest.

Natasha smirked and commented, “You always had a better eye for detail.”

“And you always rushed in,” Bucky stated with a grin. Steve had never seen Bucky smile so much, Steve was dazzled by it.

“And both of you are sneaking around my workshop!! How did you get in without a code??” Tony demanded.

Both Bucky and Natasha looked blankly at Tony and Tony groaned, “Right KGB code of silence, got it…Now if you will just give me that, Natasha…” Tony leaned across the counter to grab the tiny metal box.

Natasha snatched the box back and said, “Not before you promise to stop _and_ I believe you.”

“Fine!! Just gimmie!!” Tony gasped, reaching wildly across the counter for the box.

“What is it?” Steve asked unable to take not knowing anymore. Tony’s face went white and Bucky and Natasha laughed. Steve was instantly confused. Wasn’t Tony’s health at risk? Why were they laughing?

Natasha threw the box at Steve and he caught it. Natasha stepped away, saying, “Next time don’t mess with me, Stark.” She came to a stop in front of Bucky and said, “You. Me. Training room. I’ll show you the merits of rushing into something. Mainly, your face rushing into my fist.”

Bucky jumped to his feet and excitedly stated, “You’re on.”

They left together, priming for the fight by trading insults back and forth in English and Russian. Steve watched it all with a smile. Maybe they did not have to try so hard to get those two together…

He turned back to Tony and saw his boyfriend staring at the box in his hands with an ashen expression.

“Don’t open it,” Tony hissed.

Steve narrowed his eyes and asked, “What is this?”

“A surprise,” Tony replied to which, Steve’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. Tony flushed and cursed lightly under his breath, he continued, with his shoulder hunched in defeat, “Well I guess it’s not a surprise anymore… _Fuck_ _it_. Steve, there were going to be fireworks, neon lights, some smooth jazz, and Peter was going to bring it to you in this adorable suit…”

Steve bunched his brows together in confusion as he tried to wrap together Tony’s medical need with fireworks and Peter in a suit. It made no sense. He gasped, “Wha—?”

Tony grasped both of Steve’s hands, hiding the box within a cocoon of their flesh. His face was serious and silenced Steve.

Tony’s thumbs caressed the insides of Steve’s wrists and whispered, “It has been over a year since we started dating but we’ve known each other much, much longer…” Steve nodded and tensed, preparing himself for bad news. Tony continued, “We have faced death countless times and have even gone through God awful periods when we thought the other was dead…” Steve nodded again, biting down on his lip. What horror was Tony building up to? Tony continued, “What I’m trying to say is we don’t know when we’re going to go…It could be tomorrow or it could be fifty years from now but…” Tony inhaled deeply and opened his hands. He gently pulled the box from Steve’s grasp and popped it open. Inside sat two silver rings.

“I don’t know when we’re going to die but I want to spend the rest of my life with you, whether it be just one more day or a lifetime. I love you, Steve…So will you marry me?”

Steve’s jaw dropped as he looked to the rings and Tony’s nervous expression. Everything made so much sense now that he felt ridiculous for not seeing it sooner. Steve’s hands rose to the level of Tony’s face then cupped his cheeks. Tony had enough time to blink before Steve pulled him into a mouth crushing kiss so hard that the older man fell over. Steve went tumbling down with him and continued to ravish his mouth with kisses when Tony was flat on his back on the tile floor.

Tony laughed and asked, “So I guess this means yes?”

“That is 100% yes!” Steve gasped, kissing Tony like a man dying of thirst and he was the well of water providing his much needed sustenance. He paused to kiss him deeply, drawing a moan from Tony. When he pulled back, he whispered into his lips, “I love you.”

Tony caressed his cheek, staring at him lovingly, then whispered, “Give me your hand.”

Steve sat up on Tony’s waist and Tony pushed himself up by his elbows. Tony picked up the metal box that had fallen from his grip and reopened it. Steve held out his left hand and Tony slid it onto his ring finger. Steve stared at it, breathless.

“It’s Vibranium, like your shield,” Tony explained. Tony pulled out his ring and stated, “And like the core of my heart.” Steve wordlessly took the ring from Tony and slid it onto Tony’s finger. Steve took the same hand and kissed its palm. Tony watched it all with a hooded gaze then met Steve’s eyes and smiled.

“I love you so mu—,” Tony started to say but Steve muffled his words with another deep kiss and pushed his fiancé back to the floor to better devour him.

\---

Steve fixed Tony’s tie again and his fiancé quirked an eyebrow at him. Steve paused and placed his hand on Tony’s chest, over his heart. He admired the ring Tony gave him against the navy blue color of Tony’s tie. Steve owned the tiny piece of jewelry a little less than 24 hours and had been staring at it every chance he could but he still could not stop looking at it.

“You are adorable,” Tony commented, drawing his gaze. “I can’t wait to see you fuss about the actual wedding.”

“This is almost just as important,” Steve murmured indignantly, running his hands over Tony’s chest to rid his suit of any invisible wrinkles.

Tony reached over to him and adjusted one of the metals on his chest. Steve wore his formal, tan military uniform and Tony was wearing his most expensive suit.

Coulson stepped into the room and said, “Five minutes.”

Steve inhaled deeply and Tony gripped his arm tightly. Tony whispered, “It’s going to be okay!”

“I know I’m just excited – and scared – but mostly excited…I wish Peter were here.”

“He is going to be so proud of you…more so when he’s older and understands,” Tony murmured the last half. “But he is going to be watching with Ben and May. He’s with us in spirit.”

“I know,” Steve said, smiling widely at Tony. He smoothed out the shoulders of Tony’s suit again and Tony chuckled.

“The public awaits, my Captain…” Tony said. He gently grasped Steve’s hand and drew him to the door.

Steve held onto him tightly, probably too tightly, hurting Tony in the process but Tony gave no word of complaint. He guided Steve down the private walk until they reached the end that opened up to the more public part of the studio. Steve and Tony separated just as they planned. Steve dropped his hand to his side while Tony stuffed his hands in his pocket. They did not want any premature photos or tweets to be released just yet.

They had a message to make.

Steve and Tony waited off stage as the host was teasing the audience with the coming of surprise guests. Makeup artists swooped in and put some last minute touches on both of them. Tony talked and teased both women with ease. Steve fidgeted like he was having a seizure and was too nervous to even make polite conversation.

Their host, Mars? No, Marston. He was supposedly one of the most watched talk show hosts in the country and one of the more open minded ones. Steve had never heard of him but apparently Tony had been on the show several times over the decades and they were great friends.

Marston thought he had bagged the interview of the season. Steve had not once given an interview since his son’s discovery. Marston assumed that was why they had called for the exclusive, last minute interview.

Tony was absolutely ecstatic about pulling one over on his friend.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Marston said with a wily grin. “I give you, Captain Steven Rogers and the industrious Tony Stark!”

Tony winked at Steve then ran on stage. Steve inhaled deeply then followed him out.

Everyone in the audience was on their feet and screaming. Steve could barely hear himself think it was so loud. He smiled and raised his hand in greeting and they yelled all the louder.

Tony walked over to Marston and shook his hand with a wide smile. Steve followed him over to the table and, once Tony stepped back, Steve shook Marston’s hand as well.

Tony sat on the guest couch and Steve sat close next to him. He would only need to shift slightly to lean into him but he held back…for now. An excited thrill ran through him and he and Tony exchanged wide grins.

“Okay, settle down,” Marston said, waving for his audience to quiet. Despite his plea, it took them a few more minutes to calm down.

Steve leaned in close to Tony and whispered, “Is it always like this?”

“When there’s more than one Avenger, yes, but I think this is more for you,” Tony whispered with a large smile. Steve had not given a single comment or interview since the media learned of Peter but, even before that, he rarely did interviews. He'd _never_ done anything like this!

When the audience was seated, they continued to buzz excitedly among one another and were pulling out their cell phones to take video or pictures of them.

Marston sat down on his chair with a heavy sigh and turned to them saying, “Wow. I think they’re excited to see you two.”

The audience cheered excitedly and then Tony leaned forward with his million-dollar smile and replied, “I think you’re right!”

“Tony, it’s great to have you back and Captain –,” Marston began.

“Steve,” Steve interrupted. “Please, call me Steve.”

Marston’s grin widened and he said, “ _Steve_ , welcome to the show. How are you two?”

Tony glanced knowingly at Steve and Tony replied, “Great. In fact, more than great, _amazing_. Actually, I think this week has been one of the best of my life.”

Marston quirked an eyebrow but rolled with it and joked, “Jeez, Tony, I knew you loved being on my show but I think you’re taking it a little too far…” They and the audience laughed at Marston’s jibe. Marston continued, “Seriously, guys, everybody wants to know…what’s it like in that Tower? Steve, what’s life like with _your_ _son_? Your world must have turned upside-down! Tell us about Peter! Show us some updated pictures! Please, we’re dying to know about your son, Steve!”

The audience, even the studio’s cameras, seemed to lean in closer with baited breath.

Steve grinned ruefully and said, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Marston, but I’m not here to talk about Peter.”

Marston’s grin fell and he gasped, “What?”

“Yeah, sorry Marston, Steve’s very adamant about Peter keeping his privacy,” Tony replied.

Marston’s frown deepened and he asked, “Then what are we going to talk about? The Stock Market?”

Tony groaned playfully and said, “Dear God, no.”

“I actually wanted to make an announcement,” Steve stated and his heartrate picked up.

Marston leaned forward with renewed interest and said, “Oh, really? Are you having another child?”

Steve and Tony exchanged smirks and Steve replied, “No, but this winter I am going to marry the love of my life.”

As he expected, after a second of shocked filled silence, the audience jumped to their feet and screamed. Steve grinned widely as cameras flashed and Marston’s jaw fell open as if unhinged. It took much longer for the audience to settle down but Marston’s grin returned in a flash. He traded a thankful, knowing glance with Tony and let his audience calm themselves down.

Once the hum of their voices reached acceptable levels, Marston yelled, “Steve!” The audience’s tone quickly lowered several decimals and Marston continued, “Steve, you honor me by making such an announcement! Give me all the details! Who is the lovely lady? Please say I know her!”

Steve flushed and glanced at Tony. His fiancé was already looking at him and was smiling excitedly. Steve grinned at him and only him. He reached out for his hand and Tony grasped it tightly. Not looking away from his lover, Steve said, “You know him very well, Marston.”

Marston’s jaw dropped a second time and the audience went insane. Steve did not think they could get any louder until Tony leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was chaste and lasted maybe a dozen seconds but Steve’s heartrate had never before escalated so quickly. His ears began to ring from the shrill, excited screams.

They did it. They came out. He had been waiting for this day for so long…it felt like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders and without it he felt like he could fly.

The entire building roared with excitement and Marston leaned back in his chair and seemed to laugh, Steve could not tell if he actually did because it was so loud.

Several minutes later, Steve was leaning into Tony’s side, holding his hand, and they traded off talking as they told Marston how they fell in love. It was the same one they told Bucky and Marston and the rest of the audience were totally enraptured by their story.

Steve was euphoric. He no longer had to live a lie. He and Tony could be intimate outside the Tower now without fear. He could not stop smiling. His cheeks were starting to hurt but he doubted he could break his smile even if he tried. Tony wore a similar expression but his hazel eyes spoke more than his smile. Whenever he met Steve’s gaze, Steve could almost melt under the warmth of his love.

Unbeknownst to them, the news broadcasts and social networks were flooding with news of their relationship. The Avengers were waiting backstage and were proudly watching it all from the TV on the wall.

Miles away in Queens, Peter was watching his father and uncle on TV. He was happy they were not fighting a villain for once and was joyfully listening to them recollect their memories with each other. He had heard it many times already but this time it seemed more exciting the way his father and uncle were smiling and the way everyone else seemed to be reacting. He found himself grinning with them but did not know why. He was just happy because the rest of his family was happy.

\---

Their winter wedding was glamorous, and the reception was insane but that was to be expected of anything hosted by Tony Stark. All their friends came and the only cameras to record the proceedings were their own since Steve expressly wished no reporters have any part of their wedding. His son, 5-years-old and their ring-bearer, had blast as he ran between the adult’s legs with Harry Osborn. Norman was invited too but had declined to come because of health reasons.

It was Tony’s idea for him to sign off on his wedding certificate and adoption papers, making him Steve’s husband and Peter’s father in all rights. It marked the date not just as their wedding anniversary but the day they became a true family.

Tony stole Steve away from Bruce and they slow danced to the dawdling melody. Tony rested his head on his chest and Steve rested his head on top of his. He whispered into Tony’s hair, “I am the happiest man on the planet.”

“And I am the happiest man in the universe,” Tony countered. Steve grinned and opened his eyes to stare at their clasped left hands, hovering high enough for him to look at.

Their silver rings shined brilliantly in the light and made his grin all the wider.

Bucky’s metal arm also caught the light and drew his gaze beyond his and Tony’s hands to Bucky and his dance partner.

“Tony,” Steve whispered. He tugged their clasped hands in the direction he wanted him to look. Tony lifted his head, followed his point, and smirked.

Bucky and Natasha danced closely, Bucky’s mouth hovered millimeters from hers.

“I told you we could hook them up,” Tony murmured, nestling his head back on Steve’s chest.

“It just took our wedding to do it,” Steve observed with a fond smile directed to the other couple.

“Winterwidow Part 7 is a success.”

Steve rolled his eyes and lay his head on top of Tony’s.

“Now who should we set up next?” Tony’s head moved beneath him as he looked around the room. Steve humored him and he picked his head off Tony’s and Tony lifted his head and his eyes spanned the room. His gaze landed on Clint and the corners of his lips curled up into a devious grin.

“Tony –,” Steve said in warning.

“Clint has potential….”

“And he happens to _ALSO_ be an assassin!” Steve countered with a groan.

“He prefers to be called the Kick _Ass_ -sin and I noticed him checking out a certain SHIELD Director’s ass at the end of the ceremony.”

“You can’t be serious,” Steve retorted. Clint and Coulson?

“I think I will call it Clinson or Coulint. Part one is already coming to me now…I’m envisioning green slime…Steve?”

Steve had sighed heavily, pulled Tony off the dance floor, and led him to a secluded corner. He pushed Tony against the wall and pushed his body into Tony’s. Tony, who had been talking about his green slime plan as Steve dragged him away, suddenly shut up.

“Tony Stark…We’re married now,” Steve murmured, rubbing his hips into Tony’s. Tony groaned and cupped both his ass cheeks and pulled Steve in tighter.

“Yes,” Tony gasped. “Yes, we are.”

“And it’s our wedding day,” Steve whispered then bent down to nibble a path along Tony’s neck.

“Oh, yes,” Tony gasped, Steve wasn’t sure if it was in reply to his statement or the feel of his lips on him.

Steve continued to trail kisses against Tony’s neck and jaw. He lingered over the spot that he knew made Tony the most weak-kneed, He murmured against his flesh, “Today is about us.”

“Mmmbrgug,” Tony gurgled.

“Tony?”

“Hmmm, yes?” Tony cleared his throat.

“I need to hear you say that today is about us and only us,” Steve whispered, his lips were teasing the corner of Tony’s mouth.

Tony squeezed his ass then trailed a single hand up Steve’s side and caressed the side of his face to whisper, “Steve, my husband, love of my life, Captain of my heart, peas to my carrots, from now on, today and every day is going to be about us.”

Steve melted into Tony as his heart soared at the sincerity of his words.

Steve kissed him deeply then broke away from it to fervently whisper, “Every day?”

Tony smiled and promised, “Every day.” He placed his hand on the back of Steve’s neck and drew him back down. Steve returned the kiss with everything he had. He could not imagine a time before feeling so happy and loved.

“Pops!” Peter called out, looking for him. Steve and Tony parted, exchanging one last chaste kiss.

“Your son calls,” Tony teased as he fixed Steve’s hair to make it look halfway presentable.

“Our son,” Steve reminded him as he also patted down Tony’s suit. Tony’s hands stilled against him then he smiled warmly at Steve.

“Our son,” Tony agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! And thus we have a Superfamily...
> 
> Thank you to all who have followed, commented, kudoed, and subscribed!
> 
> I plan on writing one more part to this series, originally it was going to be short like Part 1 of the series but then I read an old Spiderman comic and now I'm inspired to add some angst... 
> 
> So my superfamily is going to weather one more storm, hopefully everyone makes it out alive...


End file.
